Decorated Kenyan taekwondo star collapses and dies in Nairobi

Dickson Wamwiri competes against Mu-Yen Chu of Taiwan during their men's -58 kg taekwondo match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Photo credit: File | Nation media Group

What you need to know:

  • He won gold in the 2007 Africa Games in Algiers.
  • He claimed silver medals in flyweight at the 2003 Abuja and 2011 Maputo African Games

Olympian Dickson Wamwiri, who represented Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is dead.

The 35-year-old Wamwiri died while being taken to Kenyatta National Hospital by neighbours after collapsing in the bathroom on Sunday morning at his house in Waithaka, Nairobi.

Confirming his death on Sunday, Kenya Tae Kwon-do Federation secretary general George Wesonga said that Wamwiri was experiencing repeated seizures.

Dickson Wamwiri (left) hits Peter Ndungu during their tae kwon-do training session at Tae kwon-do Academy in Hurlingham, Nairobi.

Photo credit: Chris omollo | Nation Media group

Wesonga said Wamwiri, who won silver medals in flyweight at the 2003 Abuja and 2011 Maputo African Games, had undergone surgery at some point because of the condition.

He won gold in the 2007 Africa Games in Algiers.

“It seems the process failed to eradicate the problem and it’s sad to have lost such a disciplined and dedicated person,” said Wesonga, adding that at one time the athlete slumped into depression after he lost employment at one of the leading petrol stations in Nairobi.

“Wamwiri never lost his bouts locally and that inspired many youngsters to take up the sport,” said Wesonga, who on behalf of the federation, conveyed his message of condolences to the family of the late Wamwiri, who won the African qualifying tournament in Tripoli, Libya to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Wamwiri would lose his preliminary match to defending world and Olympic champion Chu Mu-yen of Chinese Taipei, with a final score of 7-0.