Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba officially unveiled Kiprugut Chumo Satdium in Kericho. The stadium formerly known as Kericho Green Stadium was renamed on October 20th during the Mashujaa Dayn national celebrations conducted at the stadium.
The name change was announced by President William Ruto on that day and Saturday’s events formalizes the renaming of the facility in honor of Kenya’s pioneer Olympic Medalist.
Chumo died in November 2022 aged 84 and is regarded as Kenya’s first ever medalist in the Olympic Games after he won Kenya’s maiden medal, bronze in 800m at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
He went on to win silver at the 1968 Olympic Games and also won All Africa Games titles in 400m and 8000m during the 1965 championships.
Accompanied by Sports Principal Secretary Eng.Peter Tum ,Ababu said the honoring of the track legend was recognition to the role athletics plays in marketing the country.
‘’Nothing defines the soul of Kenya better than sports and especially athletics, that’s what brands Kenya and markets Kenya. Nothing takes Kenya to the world better than sports’’, Ababu said.
Ababu hailed the pioneer athlete for delivering a medal at the time when the country was just forming;, saying this helped the country announce itself on the global stage.
‘He got to the podium position the same year that Kenya became a republic, if you do not see the symbolism in that, that we were still looking for an identity for ourselves on the global stage then you have this young man from Kericho travelling all the way to Tokyo to announce to the world that Kenya is here’’.
Ps Tum said the Government will follow up with the remaining construction works so as to ensure that the stadium fits international standards.
‘’We will continue being present here to make sure that this stadium gets to international standards’’.
Wilson Kiprugut started his track and field athletics while a schoolboy and did participate in his first major event in 1958 when he raced in the then East African championship.
He was soon snapped up by the Kenya Defence Forces and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
He made his international debut when he participated in the 1962 Commonwealth Games.
His final major international tournament was the 1968 Olympics where he won Silver.He retired from active athletics in 1969.