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.

South Africa’s female Cricket National team on Friday opened their Women’s T20 World Cup currently ongoing in Dubai with a statement thrashing of West Indies by 10-wicket.

The SA ladies who were finalists in the 2023 edition of the World Cup reached their below-par target of 119 with 13 balls to spare as Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits both struck impressive half-centuries.

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits fired South Africa to the crushing defeat of the Windies while left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba set up the win with bowling figures of 4-29 to restrict 2016 champions West Indies to 118-6 in Dubai.

Wolvaardt, who hit 59, and Brits, who made 57, then took charge to steer last year’s finalists to 119-0 in 17.5 overs as Wolvaardt was tested early in her knock by the West Indies bowlers but once she found rhythm, the right-handed opener reached her 50 in 45 balls.

Wolvaardt survived reprieves on five and 33 on both occasions a return catch dropped by the bowler and on the first West Indies’ Zaida James getting cut on her jaw when the ball ricocheted off the hand.

West Indies will seek redemption when they face Scotland on Sunday at the same venue, while South Africa takes on England in Sharjah on Monday.

South Africa hosted the previous World Cup and reached their first global final before losing to six-time champions Australia, but this opening win sent a clear message to their opponents that they are confident of going one step further.