Sports

Ghanaians hold vigil as Black Stars star, Christian Atsu, still missing

Published

2 years ago

February 15, 2023

Ghanaians have been holding prayer vigils for Black Stars international, Christian Atsu who is still missing nine days after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit his base in Turkey’s Hatay province.

Initially, a statement from his Turkish club, Hatayspor, had released a statement that the former Chelsea and Newcastle winger had been rescued and was responding to treatment in hospital.

But a few days later, his agent, Nana Sechere, released a statement countering the claims by the club, saying Atsu had not been found nor rescued.

The bad news effectively threw Ghanaians into a frenzy of prayer vigils for the missing player but the optimism that Atsu may still be found alive is fading away after Sechere, in another statement on Wednesday, said two pairs of Atsu’s shoes were found in the rubble while the player himself still remains missing as the search for him continues.

“It has been 9 days since the earthquake and we still have not located Christian. I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian’s family,” Sechere wrote on Twitter.

“Yesterday, we received confirmation that thermal imagery was showing signs of up to 5 lives, however, I am told that the only real confirmation of life is through sight, smell, and sound, and unfortunately we were not able to locate Christian.

“Things are moving incredibly slow and as a result of that, many rescues are being delayed, and lives are being lost due to the lack of resources available to the workers. It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, side by side, in the search for Christian.

“We implore the President of the club and mayor of Hatay, Lütfü Savaş to provide additional resources to speed up the rescue efforts,” the agent said.

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Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, to 35 years in prison each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, who was stabbed to death last year.

Khalumi and Lokere were both found guilty by Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Kenyan High Court in the northwestern city of Eldoret for stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death.

In his ruling, Nyakundi said overwhelming evidence from CCTV cameras showed the pair intentionally killed the athlete, adding that they had not shown any remorse for the pre-meditated crime and deserved a harsh sentence.

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short contrary to God’s plan, where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years,” Nyakundi said while announcing the 35-year sentence for each defendant.

The judge however, rejected a plea from Kiplagat’s mother, Elizabeth Chemweno, and his two brothers who wanted Khalumi and Lokere to be given life sentences.

The two convicts were arrested a day after the athlete’s body was found in his car on the outskirts of Eldoret on New Year’s Eve with a deep wound to his neck in a murder that shocked the country and Africa in general.

Kiplagat who was born in the Eldoret region in Kenya, had an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and had represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase, including at several Olympic Games and World Championships.

He won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the African Championships in 2012 and made the semi-finals of the event at the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.

Sports

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui clinched victory in the race, clocking 2:24:35, with the defending champion, Hellen Obiri, securing second place, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third.

In just her fourth marathon, Chepkirui ran a ferocious last half mile to win the race ahead of Obiri, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon though this is her her first win at a world marathon major.

Speaking in the post-race press conference the race, she said:

“Winning means a lot to me. It means my training has been going well, and I’m really happy for the win.

“The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.

“In the last mile, it was really hard. I pushed myself. I’m so happy. I pushed myself to the limit.”

This Kenyan dominance underscores the nation’s strength in long-distance running, particularly in major marathon events.

The 2024 New York City Marathon featured a competitive field, but the Kenyan athletes’ performances stood out, reaffirming their status as leading figures in women’s marathon running.