Kenya’s marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge, has been named the Goodwill Ambassador for Sports, Integrity and Values by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), making it the second straight year after he was first named in 2023.

The double Olympic champion who was decorated for the role at the UN headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi, on Wednesday, will serve in the role for two years.

In a statement by the UNESCO East Africa Regional Director, Louise Haxthausen, Kipchoge was chosen for his values in discipline, integrity and his role in championing for environmental conservation and the education for children.

“We have a very similar state of mind and priorities (with Kipchoge) and that is what made it a perfect match for us to join hands,” Haxthausen said.

“For him, being the exceptional athlete that he is and with a bigger outlook onlife and how sports can be a means to live a better life is what attracted us to him. We are also looking at how young people can be empowered through sports, education and caring about the planet. He has a very strong engagement on environmental conservation and that is an area close to what UNESCO is doing.”

In his response, Kipchoge said he is delighted by his new role as it aligns with his Eliud Kipchoge Foundation which has education as one of its three pillars.

“UNESCO is particularly keen on environment and education and the values of my foundation are the same and they come hand in hand.

“We want to go round the country promoting education, build kindergartens and give children better classrooms. We want to spread this to the neighboring countries, the rest of Africa and even the whole world, to make small communities develop,” Kipchoge added.

Former Kenyan World under-20 800m athletics champion, Kipyegon Bett, has reportedly died at the age of 26 following an illness.

Bett was an 800m specialist who won the junior world title in 2016 and went on to claim bronze at the senior World Championships in London the following year.

But his career was shunted in 2018 when he was handed a four-year doping ban and struggled to make an impact on his return but could not hit his previous form.

His sister, Purity Kirui, who confirmed his demise to BBC Sport Africa, said he had been sick for a month.

“He had been sick, complaining of stomach pains for about a month. The doctors said he had a liver problem and had been in and out of hospital.

“Last week we took him to hospital after he started vomiting blood and he was admitted. I went to see him on Sunday morning and he told me he was in pain.

“He told our dad, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he didn’t feel he would survive and after 12 noon he died. We tried everything to save him, but he left us. It’s very painful.”

Athletics Kenya official, Barnaba Korir, who also spoke on the death of the talented Bett, described him as one of the most talented half-milers in the world and a polite, easy-going and extremely amiable athlete.

Local media said Bett was one of Kenya’s high-profile athletes but his career was derailed when he was sanctioned for anti-doping violations by the Athletics Integrity Unit after he refused to submit a sample and he subsequently tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO).

His sister, a 3,000m steeplechase runner who won Commonwealth gold in 2014, said being absent from the track had an adverse effect on Bett, who was 20 at the time of his ban.

“When Kipyegon was banned he started drinking a lot, wouldn’t eat well and suffered depression,” she said.

“We tried to help him stop drinking, but whenever we wanted to take him to rehab he would disappear from home for days.
I tried to get him back into athletics when his ban ended by getting him running kit and shoes.

“Before his death we had a plan to try one more time to take him to a rehabilitation centre in Kisumu.”

Bett was the fourth child among six siblings and took up athletics to follow in his sister’s footsteps.