Looking back in history, over the
past ten years or so, a common trend emerges:
the men and women who have dominated the middle and long distance racesare
either from Kenya or Ethiopia. This fact was underscored in the just concluded
International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) championships held in Moscow,
Russia. Kenya once again reaffirmed its supremacy by hauling 12 medals, 5 of
which were gold. The women were particularly impressive this time round with
newcomers, like Janet Sum rose to the occasion and clinched gold in the 800
meters.
Kenya is in a unique position that
allows her to leverage her reputation built on tracks. Sports usually provide a
fertile avenue for demonstrating a country’s rich traditions and values,
through her established athletes heritage Kenya has a rare platform to
show-case her citizen’s treasured attributes such as resilience, optimism,
generosity and character.In the long run Kenya can project herself as a warm, respectful
and open destination and a place whose environment is conducive to thriving
commerce, learning and cultural integration. This is well in line with Brand
Kenya’s Board vision and strategy. Countries with a powerful and positive
image, attracts attention and can leverage this to promote their country. A good
image can boost trade in export produces, unique culture and attributes of the
people of a country, thereby attracting more investors and tourists.
Many people would
wonder what magic or unique power underlies Kenyans starling performance in
athletics, especially the distances.Research has revealed that running at
higher elevations builds greater lung capacity, because athletes grow
accustomed to the thinner air. Many of the finest runners hail from the hilly
region surrounding Eldoret,
about 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. This area also possesses a fairly
mild climate that allows for year-round running. Given this strategic position,
counties in the region could take advantage to position themselves as sports
centers to promote tourism. Opening training centers will be a big boost for
this venture.
The other factor may be the building
and nurturing of a rich sporting tradition. In light of the concept of behavior
imitation modeling, it has been argued that the continued breeding of world
beating stars from Kenya’s Rift valley owes its heritage to an established
running tradition pioneered by such legends as Nyandika Mayora, Kipchoge Keino,
Moses Kiptanui, John Ngugi, Billy Konchella, to name but a few.
These social and ecological factors are
just some of the explanations for Kenya’s prowess in athletics. And it’s easy
to see why this would make sense since our fiercest competitors, Ethiopia,sharesa
more or less similar topography, climate and weather conditions. In fact, many
of the athletes who challenge Kenyans at the distances,now frequently train at
the ‘golden cradle’ of Kenya’s Rift valley and adjoining escarpments. As a
nation well known for its dominance in sports, organizing marathons, throughout
the year, attracts notable international figures. This thus presents a good
opportunity to market Kenya as a sporting destination.
