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Late Kelvin Kiptum inducted into prestigious Talanta Hall of Fame

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Late Kenyan world marathon record holder, Kelvin Kiptum was on Wednesday morning, inducted into the prestigious Talanta Hall of Fame by the government.

His family and that of the Rwandese coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who died alongside the marathon great in a ghastly road accident on February 11, were also given the sum of Ksh10 million each by the President William Ruto-led administration.

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts,
Ababu Namwamba, who presided over the event that had in attendance Kiptum’s and Hakizimana’s families, said Kiptum’s name will paint the hall alongside other iconic legends in the sports and creative economy realm.

The Talanta Hall of Fame is a prestigious platform that celebrates excellence in the realm of creativity, sports and innovation in the East African country.

During the induction ceremony, Nanwamba said Kenya will always celebrate Kiptum’s life and even in his death, the world will continue acknowledging his impact.

“This Hall celebrates the best of Kenya’s sports and creatives such as Joe Kadenge, Paul Tergat, and Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

“This is both a proud and sad moment as we celebrate the induction of a promising athlete who departed this world in his prime.

“This is special because it is the very first formal induction, and Kelvin becomes the first of our legends to be formally inducted in this hall of fame and stands here as a permanent heritage to his incredible contribution,” Nanwamba added.

Before he was cut down in his prime, Kiptum was the world marathon record holder and the reigning London Marathon champion.

In his short but impactful career, Kiptum had won all the marathons he had competed in since his debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon where he won in the fastest time ever by a debutant.

He then won the London Marathon in 2023 in the second fastest time before shattering compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

He was due to attempt the sub-two-hour marathon assault at the NN Rotterdam Marathon before his untimely death.

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Tobi Amusan sets world-leading time at Jamaica Athletics Invitational

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World 100m hurdle record-holder, Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, was the cynosure of all eyes as she stole the show at the maiden Jamaica Athletics Invitational held in Kingston, where she ran a world-leading time of 12.40 seconds to defeat home favorite and reigning world champion, Danielle Williams, who came in second with 12.46, and USA’s Christina Clemens, who finished third in 12.54 seconds.

The 27-year-old Amusan’s impressive display in the Jamaica Invitational marked a significant and brilliant comeback following her recent setback at the Suzhou Diamond League late last month where she was disqualified due to a false start.

With the victory, the Nigerian athlete fondly “Tobi Express” by her fans, has once again claimed the top spot in the world rankings, surpassing American Tonea Marshall, who previously held the world lead with a time of 12.42 seconds in late April.

While reacting to the feat, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, took to his official X handle to congratulate Amusan whom he called a pace-setter, while wishing she repeats the feat at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

“Tobi, you keep making our country proud. Paris Olympics is around the corner, your performance gives us hope just like others, that Nigeria is set to break a jinx. Keep soaring, we are proud of you,” the Minister wrote.

In another tweet, he said:

“Take your flowers Tobi Amusan, you stormed to an emphatic win in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, clocking a time of 12.40s (0.9), a World Lead time!

“You defeated World Champion Danielle Williams, who came 2nd in 12.46s, while Christina Clemons was 3rd.

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Italian couple name new born baby after Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman

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An Italian couple have reportedly named their new born baby after Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, after he scored a spectacular goal against Olympic Marseille of France in the Europa League semifinal second leg match to take Atalanta to the final.

The Nigerian striker opened the scoring for Atalanta before Ruggeri and Toure sealed the win in their second-leg semi-final tie to set up a mouth-watering final tie with Victor Boniface’s Leverkusen.

According to reports from EuroFoot on X, Ademola’s performance was recognised by the couple who live in Palosco, a district in Bergamo where the Italian club is based.

“Somebody named their child after Ademola Lookman following his goal which helped send the Italian club to the Europa League final!” EuroFoot said in the post.

The post added that Lookman’s contribution to Atalanta’s advancement to the Europa League final caught the attention of the adoring Italian couple who decided to name their child after him.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian international was on Friday, named the Europa League Player of the Week following his outstanding performance in Atalanta’s 4-1 aggregate victory over Marseille in the semifinal.

According to UEFA’s official website, Lookman’s performance also included three attempts, further highlighting his influential role in Atalanta’s dominant display

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