More than 1,000 athletes in Elgeyo Marakwet have received training shoes from an Italian Non Governmental Organisation, a charitable outfit that collects and donates new shoes to upcoming athletes.
Some of the beneficiary athletes who have been running barefoot with others in ordinary rubber shoes, will now have a test of running shoes, thanks the donation by “In Your Shoes”, a non-profit organisation from Italy.
Governor Wisley Rotich appreciated the organisation for supporting the athletes some of whom, according to him, lack of training shoes had denied them the opportunity to compete in major races.
“Our county has several athletes, but some have failed to shine because they don’t have running shoes,” he said, “those who are lucky have only a pair they keep for main races,” he said.
Who did Italian NGO target?
Francisco Grimaldi, who led the team from In Your Shoes, said they will identify deserving athletes with the support of local coaches.
“We have seen talented athletes in Iten. We will be supporting their talent by kitting them,” he added.
Maxwell Kiprono, a beneficiary, said he had trained using rubber shoes, which, he said,often flipped and fell off.
“This makes me run barefoot at times. It leads to blisters and injuries.”I am happy to have a pair of training shoes,” he said.
Renowned coach David Cheromei opined that lack of training shoes had locked several athletes out of competition.
He said: “Almost every athlete training in Iten or any other camp in this county can win a race. At times during athletics meetings, we see potential athletes running on unprofessional shoes. We pick and support them. I believe there are several others who have not been identified. ”
In addition, Grimaldi said they were in a position to bring in more shoes, should the government ease tax on the shoes.
Governor Rotich promised for an intervention to ensure that the process is free of any encumbrance.
