Sports

Oscar Pistorius finally released from South Africa prison

Published

10 months ago

January 5, 2024

Disgraced South African Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, has been released from prison on parole, after serving 11 years for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013.

The 37-year-old double amputee who was popularly known as “The Blade Runner” in his heyday, was released on Friday from the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria to begin his new life of supervised freedom, which will require him to get permission from authorities for many of the basic events of life, according to prison officials.

The South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS), which confirmed Pistorius’s release in a statement, said it was “able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is a parolee, effectively from 5 January 2024. He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home.”

Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesperson for the (DCS), while addressing journalists, said that Pistorius would be subject to parole conditions until his sentence expired in 2029.

“Just like other parolees, Pistorius is subject to general parole conditions. He is restricted from conducting media interviews; he will be required to be home at particular hours of the day.

“He will not be allowed to consume alcohol or prohibited substances and will be required to participate in programs identified by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board,” Nxumalo said.

Pistorius had been in prison since 2014 after he was found guilty of shooting Reeva, a model and law school graduate, who was then 29, to death at his home.

During his trial, which garnered global attention,
Pistorius maintained that he did not kill her in a fit of anger during an argument as prosecutors argued, and said instead he had mistaken her for an intruder.

A parole board had, in November, granted Pistorius’ petition on the grounds that he had served half of his 13-year sentence, making him eligible according to South African law.

He was initially convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years. But a higher court overturned the conviction and upgraded it to murder a year later, increasing his sentence to six years in prison.

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Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

10 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.