Sports

Kenya’s former junior world 800m champion Kipyegon Bett dies aged 26

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2024

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.

Related Topics:Athletics Death Featured Kenya Kipyegon Bett

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Sports

Zambian captain Barbra Banda voted BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year

Published

9 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Captain of the Zambian women’s national football team, Barbra Banda, has been voted the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2024.

The Orlando Pride FC forward rode to the crown after she received the most votes from readers of the BBC Sport website after a five-player shortlist was announced last month.

The criteria for winning was based on performances from September 2023 to August 2024, which saw Banda who plies her trade in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), selected by a large panel of experts involved in football around the world, including coaches, players, administrators and non-BBC journalists.

Banda who is the 10th winner of the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award, scored four goals for Zambia at the Paris Olympics, including a first-half hat-trick against Australia, to become the leading African goalscorer in Olympic history with 10.

She has also scored 13 goals for Pride in 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season, despite only joining in March, and four goals in the playoffs, including the winning goal in the championship final on Saturday as Orlando Pride won their maiden title.

Banda, 24, became the second-most expensive women’s signing in history, behind Zambia team-mate Racheal Kundananji, when she joined Pride from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli $740,000 (£581,000) in March.

Speaking to BBC Sports after receiving the award, Banda said:

“I am shocked and surprised to have this award right by my side.

“I would like to thank the people who voted and everyone who has played a part in my life and my career – my family, my national team in Zambia and especially the Pride team. It is for everyone.”

Sports

TP Mazembe pip AS FAR to win African Women’s Champions League

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) became the third team to win the 2024 African Women’s Champions League after narrowly defeating AS FAR of Morocco 1-0 in the final played on Sunday at the El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi Stadium.

TP Mazembe claimed the title for the first time courtesy of a 10th minute penalty which was converted by Marlene Kasaj after AS FAR captain Aziza Rabbah handled the ball in the box.

The Congolese side should have doubled their lead six minutes later when an unmarked Merveille Kanjinga fired wide from seven yards out before the more fancied home team gradually grew into the match and looked to cancel the deficit and add to their continental triumph in 2022.

But AS FAR put in a subdued display and failed to test Mazembe’s goalkeeper Fideline Ngoy, with tournament top scorer Doha El Madani who had netted six goals in their run to the final, wasting their best chance as she sliced a first-half free-kick wide.

With the triumph, TP Mazembe carted home the giant trophy and a cheque for $600,000 (£479,000) after the prize money was increased for the fourth edition of the tournament, while the AS FAR went home with $400,000 (£319,000).