Upcoming athletes compete in the 3,000m during the Townhall Scholarships trials at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County on May 29, 2024.
Over the years, Kenya has firmly established itself as a hotbed of athletic talent, renowned for consistently producing some of the world’s best middle and long-distance runners.
From the legendary Kipchoge Keino, who put Kenya on the global athletics map in the 1960s and 1970s, to the contemporary icon Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya's reputation for nurturing exceptional athletes has only grown.
This impressive track record has attracted numerous athletic agents, promoters, and business people to Kenya, eager to recruit top talents into their organizations. With stiff competition and the drive to identify raw talent early, these agents have begun scouting primary and secondary school competitions from the zonal level onward.
For many, athletics has become the quickest escape from poverty, which plagues many households in this developing country.
However, this success comes with challenges. Injuries or early retirement can plunge athletes back into poverty if they have no education or other careers to fall back on.
Recognizing this issue, Townhall Athletics Club is offering the most ideal strategy: athletics scholarships.
Under this programme, athletes are encouraged to excel academically as well as in athletics, with the ultimate goal of connecting them to universities, mostly in the United States.
Athletics scholarships
This approach ensures that athletes have both their sports careers and academic foundations to rely on, offering a more sustainable path to success.
Nation Sport has been following some 70 Kenyan students admitted in various universities across the United States of America over the last one year on athletics scholarships.
Townhall Athletics Club, has been holding trials in Kenya every month for potential students/athletes aged between 17 and 23 to gain full scholarships.
Brigid Chebet, the Townhall Athletics Club director for Kenya, during trials at Kipchoge Kieno Stadium in Eldoret on May 29, 2024.
When an athlete qualifies, the club helps them get admitted in American schools in conjunction with staff based in the US.
Brigid Chebet, the Townhall Athletics Club director for Kenya, said their organization was the brainchild of some beneficiaries of US college athletics scholarships.
“Silas Kiplagat, based in Kansas, and William Ngetich, based in California, are the people behind the huge success we are seeing from admitting athletics students in the US. We also have donors who have been instrumental in seeing that the students get help,” said Chebet.
“The world is becoming competitive and the western world has been doing well of late and taking the students abroad will also widen their skills in terms of training and competition and they will be a force to reckon with. They also get some allowances when they represent their schools and some are investing the little they are getting back at home,” she added.
The best known of the beneficiaries is the All Africa Games triple jump silver medallist Winny Bii, who is also the Kenya record holder in the discipline.
Women’s triple jump
She is a student of Oklahoma University. Bii told Nation Sport she had a dream to change the narrative that Kenya is only good in middle and long distance running.
She showed that during the African Games in Accra, Ghana in March where she finished second in women’s triple jump with an effort of 13.64m behind winner Nigeria’s Ruth Usoro who jumped 13.80m.
"My goals are bigger than just winning here and lowering Kenyan and school records. I want to be an Olympian and I believe it is possible through hard work,” said Bii who is also a Big 12 Indoor champion.
Big 12 is the top level of collegiate sports competition in America. Irene Jepkemboi, a freshman at Texas Christian University, is a Big12 champion, and Kenyan javelin record holder.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, Hellen Obiri of Kenya and Amane Beriso Shankule of Ethiopia in action in the Women's Marathon in Paris, France - August 11, 2024.
“The end goal is to make Kenyans, my school, my coach, and my family proud in my javelin competition,” said Jepkemboi.
Juliet Cherubet is a student at Texas Tech University who is currently the 1,500m Big12 champion and Cross Country All American champion.
Clemson University freshman Gladys Chepngetich is an ACC 800m champion while Brian Musau is a first year at Oklahoma State University.
Kenyans Jacob Krop (left) and Edwin Kurgat react after qualifying for the finals of the 5,000m at the Stade de France on August 7, 2024.
He is ranked number one in the NCAA 5,000m, is the Cross Country Big12 champion. He reckoned that Oklahoma State University had the best distance training programme with a world-class coaching staff and he was confident of becoming a world beater.
According to William Ngetich the director of the Townhall Athletics Group, the agency was established to help talented students secure athletic scholarships to various US universities, with a clear goal: to enable everyone to succeed.
“We began with a few schools, but our short-term success has led to more schools showing a willingness to collaborate with us.
“The journey has not been easy, but our greatest assets are the people we work with on the ground. Coaches like Barnabas Kitilit (Torongo Athletics Camp), Paul Kemei (Lemotit Athletics Camp), Rono (Kalyet), Julius Bitok, Benson (Townhall), and Rashid have been the driving force behind this programme.
Personal benefits
“Brigid Chebet has been tremendous in recruiting and coordinating, while Albert Kirwa ensures everything runs smoothly. When Silas Kiplagat and I started Townhall a few years ago, our aim was to give back to the community. We never expected the impact it would have,” said Ngetich.
Other students who have benefited for the Towhhall programme are Billah Jepkirui (1,500m), Victoria Lagat (5,000m), Dennis Kipngetich (5,000 and 10,000m) and Brian Musau (5,000m) all from Oklahoma State University, Juliet Cherubet (1,500 and 5,000m) and Anastasia Chepkorir (10,000m) from Texas Tech University, Irene Jepkemboi (Javelin) and Tabitha Ngao (1,500m) both from Texas Christian University.
Those at University of South Carolina include former 400m world silver junior medalist Sylvia Chelangat, Judy Kosgei who competes in 800m and 1,500m and Teresa Toroitich a 3,000m steeplechase runner.
Ngetich said that athletics scholarships are crucial for Kenyan students, offering significant educational, economic, and personal benefits. These scholarships provide access to quality education at top-tier universities, opportunities often unavailable in regions with limited resources.
hird place Nikki Hiltz of United States, Susan Lokayo Ejore of Kenya and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia react after the Women's 1500m Semi-Final at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France on August 08, 2024.
At the just concluded Paris Olympic Games in France, three US-based athletes Sharon Lokedi, Susan Ejore and Edwin Kurgat represented Kenya.
They all made it to the US on an athletics scholarship.
“Economically, scholarships alleviate financial burdens by covering tuition, accommodation, and other expenses, which can be substantial. Graduates with international degrees and athletic experience often enjoy enhanced job prospects and earning potential.
Additionally, the exposure to different cultures and perspectives gained through studying abroad broadens students’ horizons, fostering a global mindset and valuable life skills such as discipline, time management, teamwork, and leadership,” Ngetich said.
Townhall wants to support as many talented youths as possible and will continue with this programme for the foreseeable future, Ngetich concluded.
