Kiprotich resumes training next week

By James Bakama

The partying for Stephen Kiprotich is over. The London Olympics gold medallist resumes training next week.

Kiprotich, who has been chief guest at several events since winning gold in the marathon last month, will on Saturday preside over his last function before he starts preparations for next season.

He will flag off the Hengshui Lake International Marathon in China.

“When he returns on Tuesday he will head to Iten, Kenya for serious training,” explained his local manager Godfrey Nuwagaba.

Nuwagaba said while in China, Kiprotich will together with his foreign manager Jos Hermens not only agree on what events the athlete will enter next season, but also meet international companies that want to associate with the runner.

Hermens, heads a sports company Global Sports Communication. The company represents 120 athletes from 20 different countries.

Athletes under this company include multi medal winning and record breaking runners like Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie.

The company represents athletes in negotiations with competition organisers and sponsors. It also organises travel, accommodation and visas besides offering the runners medical, training and marketing assistance.

Kiprotich shot into the headlines on the last day of the London Olympics when he won Uganda’s first gold at the prestigious quadrennial games in 40 years. Uganda had last won an Olympic medal at the 1996 Atlanta games.

Uganda has since Kiprotich’s run to glory been celebrating. The partying climaxed with a grand homecoming last week in the runner’s home district of Kapchorwa.

President Yoweri Museveni rewarded Kiprotich with sh200m on top of promising to build a three bedroomed house for his parents.

Corporates under a fundraising campaign led by Vision Group’s Chief Executive Robert Kabushenga also mobilized a sh300m reward for Kiprotich.