Velzian’s legacy unmatched 

Kenya’s celebrated athletics coach and administrator John Velzian died on Thursday.

The Briton, who moved to Kenya before independence, died while undergoing treatment at the MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi after suffering an injury form a fall at his house.

Velzian, who was a few weeks shy of his 94th birthday, devoted his life to athletics, establishing national athletics standards for school children in Kenya before independence.

We should celebrate Velzian for his service to athletics not only in the country but the continent and the world as a whole.

Velzian discovered, developed and coached talent such as the legendary Kipchoge Keino, who caught the attention of the world during the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games where he won a gold medal in 3,000m steeplechase.

The man who had graduated from Carnegie College of Physical Education in Leeds, United Kingdom, in 1954 was hired as a physical education officer and posted to Kenya eight years before independence in 1963.

He went on to become the first national athletics team head coach until 1968, having led Kenya to their first ever Africa Senior Athletics Championships in 1965, besides many other accolades.

Velzian’s passion for ensuring athletics is developed in English-speaking African countries saw him become the director of the World Athletics Regional Development Centre in Nairobi and a director at the African Athletics Development Centre.

His efforts were aptly recognised when he was awarded the World Athletics Coaching Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2011, three months after receiving World Athletics (Formerly IAAF) honorary plaque from former President, the late Lamine Diack at the World Athletics Congress.

Velzian has left a legacy that all upcoming and seasoned coaches, administrators and athletes must emulate if we are to take athletics to the next level.