It is said, eat like Kenyans, run like Kenyans! While the eating part is something for the individuals to decide (Kenyans eat less), the Modi Government is certainly working on how to make Indians run like Kenyans.
Impressed by the success of Kenyan athletes in international events, the Centre now wants Indian runners to take lessons from top-notch performers of the African country. The Government will, on Monday, sign an agreement with the Kenyan sports authority to enable Indian long and middle distance runners to train with world-class athletes of Kenya. India, in return, will train young and upcoming cricketers and hockey players of Kenya. The agreement will be signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the African nation on July 11.
“In Kenya, the PM would be mentioning about our holding a major festival of India later this year. We are looking at Kenya for energising our sports. There is a great interest there. Of course, Kenyans are in ICC playing cricket but they would like to learn cricket and hockey. We told them that we would like to learn long distance running where they are absolutely world beaters,” said Amar Sinha, Secretary in-charge of Africa in Ministry of External Affairs.
Barring making a splash in the 2003 World Cup wherein Kenya reached semi-finals, its national cricket team is yet to make an impact in the international arena. Former Indian cricketer and selector Sandeep Patil has coached the Kenyan cricket team in the past and is again looking for a fresh stint but then the Kenyan Government also wants a long-term training programme and regular exchanges for its cricketers.
Similarly, despite hockey being popular in the country for several years and several Indian origin players being part of its team, the Kenyan hockey team’s best was a fourth place finish in the 1971 World Cup.
According to hockey star Dhanraj Pillay, India and Kenya played each other during the 60s and 70s and the African country had very good hockey team. later some of the Indian players like Inder Singh and MP Ganesh played in the Kenya National league as well. “Kenya team used to come for the Indira Gandhi International tournament in India… It will be very good to see the Kenyan athletes train our Indian athletes. And our hockey coaches train their team,” said Pillay. Government sources said the Kenyan Government is keen to train its hockey players with Indians and if possible in India on a regular, long-term basis.
But it is the track events where Indian interests are high as the country awaits an Olympic medal in long distance events. Recently, six of Indian long distance runners went for training in Kenya under a public-private partnership, but the Indian Government now wants to formalise this system of training each other’s players under an institutionalised mechanism so that the training is much more regular than just ad-hoc or one off.
Kenya has produced some of the finest of athletes like Kipchoge Keino, who won gold at the 1968 Olympics in 1,500m and at the 1972 Olympics in steeplechase; Samuel Wanjiru, winner of london Chicago Marathon in 2009 in a record time; 5000m runner Henry Rono, who broke all world records in his events in 1978 and 1981; described a greatest marathon marathoner of all time Catherine Ndereba, twice winner at the World Championships in Athletics, silver medalist at 2004, 2008 Olympics and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon; long distance runner Paul Kibii Tergat, who set a world record in marathon from 2003 to 2007. In the recent times, Wilfred Kimitei, Sheila Chepkirui and Margaret Chelima are the athletes that have been setting the tracks on fire.
India, on the other hand, had top runners like Shivnath Singh, Hari Singh, Asha Aggarwal, Sunita Rani, Suman Rawat and Preeja Sreedharan but an Olympic medal or a Marathon world record has remained a distant dream. In this Olympic year, the Modi government is working out a tie-up with Kenya so that future Indian athletes run like Kenyans, and win like Kenyans.