Play clean, Soya founder Tergat tells athletes
Lotto Foundation CEO Joan Mwaura (left) presents a cheque of Sh1.2 million to SOYA founder Paul Tergat (second left), Henry Wanyoike and Mary Wavinya during the event's sponsorship announcement at Sarova Stanley on January 13, 2023.
What you need to know:
- His sentiments were echoed by the SOYA panel of judges chairperson Chris Mbaisi who noted that a good name is key to good performance and legacy building for future generations in the sporting industry.
- “Our sports icons are our representatives as Kenya. What they do out there leaves indelible marks and the generations to come will follow suit. As the panel of judges, we continue to encourage our sportsmen and women to set a good example to the upcoming generations by playing clean,” said Mbaisi.
Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) founder Paul Tergat has urged Kenyan sportsmen and women to play clean.
In the wake of rising cases of doping in the country, Tergat said some athletes have taken the wrong route to achieve success.
“There’s no shortcut to anything you want to achieve. We need to ward off doping and build our sporting careers through resilience, consistency, staying power and diligence," Tegati said.
The five-time World Cross Country champion encouraged sports personalities to help in building a good reputation as individuals and a country.
Tergat, who spoke on Friday during a SOYA sponsorship announcement event in Nairobi, said the theme for this year's event is "Our Integrity, Our Pride, Our Sports”.
He revealed that the event has received Sh5 million worth of sponsorship both in cash and in kind. The gala is set for January 20 at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC).
“The 19th edition of the SOYA gala celebrates the continued resilience of our sportsmen and women who have continued to shine as the world pushes through a myriad of challenges. However, our focus this year and moving forward is to protect our integrity and be proud of what we do by playing clean,” said the former World Marathon record holder
His sentiments were echoed by the SOYA panel of judges chairperson Chris Mbaisi who noted that a good name is key to good performance and legacy building for future generations in the sporting industry.
“Our sports icons are our representatives as Kenya. What they do out there leaves indelible marks and the generations to come will follow suit. As the panel of judges, we continue to encourage our sportsmen and women to set a good example to the upcoming generations by playing clean,” said Mbaisi.
Renowned long distance runner Henry Wanyoike urged the sportsmen and women to build a credible sporting career that can be a good foundation to a good livelihood after retiring.
“We need to build good synergies that promote good habits and protect our integrity. Working together and balancing the need to win with winning smart and clean at an individual and team level is very important. This is our pride as we need each other for us to thrive against our competitors in the sporting arena,” said the former 5,000 metres and 10,000m Paralympic record holder.
Lotto Foundation CEO Joan Mwaura promised the foundation’s continued support to sports.
“The ripple effect of sports is huge. It is not only a source of monetary support, but also helps nurture and share culture and social aspects of communities. We support sports especially at the grassroot level as it positively impacts on the local communities both socially and economically. My clarion call to us all is to help build sports as a clean and reputable career option,” she noted.
