Olympic champion Jepchirchir, Kosgei return to 'heroic' welcome
Kenya Utamaduni Dancers entertain Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir (left) and silver medallist Brigid Kosgei (second left) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on August 12, 2021 when they returned to the country from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
What you need to know:
- There was a huge outcry from Kenyans especially after Uganda's medalists got red carpet reception from President Yoweri Museveni
- To save face, one government official Adnan Wachu, the Kenya Heroes Council chairman, was at JKIA to welcome Jepchirchir and Kosgei and marathoner Lawrence Cherono
- The three were treated to some traditional songs and dance from Kenya Utamaduni dancers after arriving at around Thursday midnight
Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and silver medallist Brigid Kosgei returned home to a rather lukewarm welcome Thursday night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
It was a complete departure to the low-key welcome other Team Kenya athletes had been accorded.
This reception comes days after Kenyans took to social media to express their disappointmment at Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed about poor reception accorded to marathon great Eliud Kipchoge and other Tokyo Olympics medallists.
There was a huge outcry from Kenyans especially after Uganda's medalists got red carpet reception from President Yoweri Museveni.
Kenyans wondered why Team Kenya, top in Africa and 19th globally, with four gold, four silver and two bronze medals, would not be accorded same treatment or even better than Uganda who ranked 36th worldwide with only two gold and two bronze medals.
To save face, one government official Adnan Wachu, the Kenya Heroes Council chairman, was at JKIA to welcome Jepchirchir and Kosgei and marathoner Lawrence Cherono, who finished fourth in the men's race.
Kenya Utamaduni Dancers entertain Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir (second right) and silver medallist Brigid Kosgei (right) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on August 12, 2021 when they returned to the country from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The three were treated to some traditional songs and dance from Kenya Utamaduni dancers after arriving at around Thursday midnight.
They later drove off under police escort to Ole Sereni hotle for the night and are expected to head home on Friday.
Jepchirchir bagged the gold medal ahead of world marathon record holder Kosgei as Kenya retained the women's 42km race title in Sapporo on August 7.
