Omanyala, Ezekiel kemboi headline Olympians to grace exclusive dinner and awards ceremony

The Kenya Olympians Association (KOA) will on Saturday 14 May host and award past and present Olympians who have represented the country on the various Olympic stages since the 1960s at a Nairobi hotel.

The Olympians who have carried Kenya’s flag in many Olympic disciplines over several decades will gather together for the first time to celebrate recognition and membership of World Olympians Association via the recently formed Kenya Olympians Association committee.

Speaking in Nairobi, President of Kenyan Olympian Association and a two-time Boston Marathon winner, Moses Kiptarbei Tanui, who represented Kenya in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and 1992 Games in Barcelona said, “It is indeed a great privilege for our Kenyan Olympians who have participated, and on many occasions conquered the world to be remembered and officially awarded with the OLY designation and Certificate by the World Olympians Association (WOA).

"We continue to encourage former Olympians to register for such recognition as it is indeed their entitlement and we are very excited to see such a constellation of our stars, heroes and heroines in one place on Kenyan soil. We will celebrate them and remember that through their tireless efforts overcoming the most formidable odds and circumstances they were able to represent Kenya on the global stage. Indeed, Kenya’s greatest days are ahead and we hope that this will inspire many who would want to become our future Olympians.”

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Lydia Okech, the Vice President of Kenya Olympians Association, who represented Kenya in the 100 and 200 meter sprints at the 1966 Commonwealth Games and during the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games said, “Many Kenyan girls and women are unaware that some of us who started sprinting barefoot made it onto the Olympic stage representing Kenya and we want to encourage Kenyan women that we have been there and that they too can be world leaders in various Olympic disciplines. We are hoping that our passion and flame will carry to future generations in celebrating Kenya Olympians.”

The dinner event will be graced by confirmed attendance of Kenyan Olympians such as Ferdinand Omanyala, David Rudisha, Tegla Lorupe, Catherine Ndereba, Tecla Sang, Billy Konchellah, Matthew Birir, Mercy Wesutila, Willam Ambaka, James Omondi Adede, Kennedy Ochieng, Tecla Sang, Roy Odhier, Ezekiel Kemboi, Suleiman Juma and Shezana Anwar.