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President William Ruto has said that his government will award double World record holder Faith Kipyegon with Sh5 million and a house worth Sh6 million.
This, he said, will be a reward for the two records she broke for 5,000 meters and 1,500 meters.
“She has won and broken two world records in 1500 meters in Florence Italy and 5000 in Paris, France. The government of Kenya is going to award her a total of Sh5 million for one record and we are going to give her a house worth Sh6 million for the other record,” Ruto said.
The President added that it will be the same for all the other world record breakers that will come after Faith Kipyegon.
Ruto said he had instructed the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Arts that they move away from crowding the Sports Fund with other requirements and it be dedicated solely, to matters sports, arts and the creative economy.
“I have also asked the ministry that the government of Kenya should review the reward scheme so that we can recognise and reward appropriately the men and women who attain excellence in sports, arts and creative economy,” Ruto said.
“And going forward we have decided as government of Kenya that any Kenyan who participates in a world event and breaks a world record, unlike in the past, when there was no recognition, going forward, for every world record broken by a Kenyan, the government of Kenya is going to award five million shillings,” he added.
A week after breaking the 1500m world record in Florence, Kipyegon etched her name into the record books for 5000m, winning in 14:05.20.
Ahead of the race, the world and Olympic champion hadn’t made too much noise about a possible world record attempt in 5000m.
It was, after all, just her third-ever race at the distance, and her first 5000m outing in eight years.
BY THE STAR