The war against the prevalent use of drugs and alcohol in Murang’a County and the larger central region should be intensified as part of protecting and safeguarding the diverse sporting talents among the youth.
The Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi said wanton substance abuse in the county posed a huge threat to developing talent and initiatives that promote growth of sports talent among the young people.
The PS was speaking on Sunday at Ihura Stadium in Murang’a County during the launch of the inaugural Great Murang’a Community Run.
The event saw the coming together of over 2,000 athletes drawn from schools, institutions, agencies, and communities based in the region.
“Success in athletics is a product of strict discipline, a value that cannot be attained if you abuse alcohol. Additionally, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) cannot allow you to compete if you are a drug user. We must tell our youth not to use drugs and adopt clean sports,” said the PS.
The community-run event was attended by senior Athletics Kenya officials, heads of institutions from the region, and several schools from across all the sub-counties in the region.
The jackpot of the race was at the 10 km elite race for both men and women, with winners taking home cash awards of Sh. 200,000.
In recent years, alcohol and substance abuse have emerged as major threats to youth development in the region owing to the huge number of young people engaged in drug and substance abuse.
While acknowledging the dangers posed by such vices, the PS pointed out that promoting sports and initiating talent identification systems can encourage young people to be industrious and productive.
The PS’s remarks were echoed by the legendary John Ngugi, the five-time former world cross-country champion, who said sports was a factor that could transform lives.
He termed the run a historic initiative poised to spur talent development in Murang’a and the larger central region as well as revive the glory of the 80s and 90s when the region produced racing giants.
The veteran runner said youth required events that kept them engaged to fight off the temptation to indulge in using drugs recreationally.
“It is such events that will keep our youth engaged. None will have time or the need to engage in alcohol and substance abuse,” he said.
While expressing his delight at winning the 10 km elite race, Benson Karanja, the winner, said the run was sowing seeds of greatness for local athletes.
He further pointed out that the region had vast potential to produce great runners, but lack of appropriate platforms to display their talents remained a great barrier to sports development.
“We require such events to display the talents in Murang’a. We also need the government to establish an athletics camp in this region to nurture the running talent we have,” he said.
Ms. Janet Ruguru, the women’s 10 km elite winner, called for continuity of the race as a way of demystifying athletics and helping eliminate the stigma faced by women runners for wearing tight-fitting running gear.
“We need to normalize running. I had to train very early in the morning to avoid scandalized looks from my community for wearing tight-fitting training gear. Such things might contribute to discouraging women and girls from training for fear of being judged by the community,” she said.
The PS disclosed that the government was determined to grow sporting talent across Kenya as a central factor in the commercialization of sports in Kenya.
By Bernard Munyao
