When marathon enthusiasts and fans from other countries complain of Kenyans’ dominance in this field, they not only need to be forgiven but also should be asked to go slow on their rather unnecessary outbursts.
Last week the media were abuzz with information that Kenyans and other non-Dutch citizens were going to get the least of peanuts available for them if they outrun their hosts, the Dutch, during the 2011 Utrecht Marathon to be held later this month. They said it and up-to-date the organisers have not changed their discriminatory rewards of 10,000 Euros for a Dutch winner and 100 Euros for a Kenyan or any other foreigner who wins.
If that’s not discriminatory, then someone should redefine this word. When someone literally rules over something and refuses to cede that superiority, it tends to get tiring and people may start losing interest in it. That’s very true. However, should superiority be overlooked over competition? I guess it does not add sense to pull out the finest in order to promote the lame or the weak. Imagine telling Brazil or Spain not to send their national football teams to the World Cup so that a team from Guatemala, Guinea Bissau or Thailand wins the World Cup. It doesn’t make sense, at all. Don’t even talk of banning Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal from the Grand Slams because they are the absolute faces of the Slams and if someone hinted at their banning from Wimbledon, for example, that person should be prepared to be called an imbecile of the imbeciles or told to pay millions in dollars in fines.
However, now that individuals, Kenyan athletes have found the tricks to their success in long distances, it’s suddenly becoming a “boring and uncompetitive”.Why now, when Kenyans, the real faces of marathon takes the sport to a higher level, someone suddenly thinks of a way to control their exploits. Such ways meant to restrict them to their homes and let their athletics-talents rot away while mediocre runners fill the field and earn from poor running, are unacceptable in a globalised world as ours. Furthermore, in a capitalistic world like the one we are living in, competition is key. It’s essential for the success of every interested individual.
Now that the rest of world seems to be interested in demoralising our runners from exercising their talent, it’s time Kenyans rose to appreciate their own and shame the lazy discriminators whose main intention is to promote themselves and their ego-centric thoughts. Locals should appreciate more these people and make them celebrities so they can feel the same feeling of importance they get when they run in London, Rotterdam, Boston, New York, Tokyo or elsewhere. Nairobi Marathon (normally sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank) should be made more prestigious by increasing the rewards for the winners, also organising marathons in other cities and towns like Kisumu (Lakeside Marathon), others in Mombasa, Nakuru, Embu etc.
Doing this will discourage Kenyan athletes from getting enslaved to thoughts of only running in foreign countries where they are often not appreciated or discriminated against.
Kenyans and to a good extend Ethiopians runners have shown agility, perseverance and commitment in running over 42 kilometres and winning the races and gaining every other praise but none for committing their good bodies to 42kms of grievous harm on their bodies and undefined fatigue. The very last thing to do to such hard working entertainers is discriminate against or seem to undeservedly glorify others over them.
The most we can do for this people is guard them against blatant misuse by foreigners who sometime careless about their welfare after they get entertained. We can guard them through appreciation, praising their efforts and organising for local marathons befitting their stature so they can show off to locals including their family members and neighbours.
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