Kiprotich takes swipe at culture of rewarding his successes
Kiprotich (3rd L) was accompanied by friends and relatives to pick his Uspa plaque from the podium on Thursday night at Lugogo. Photo by Ismail Kezaala.
What you need to know:
Legendary Kiprotich is the reigning 2012 Uspa Sportsman of the Year and after his Moscow feat he is the odds-on favourite to win the 2013 award.
World and Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich has castigated the culture of rewarding success in the aftermath of his Moscow gold last month.
Kiprotich was bemused that no one heeded the call to support Uganda’s team to the World Championships prior, but several corporates rushed to reward him after he triumphed.
“We must pay to build success,” said Kiprotich while addressing journalists at his handover dinner of the August Nile Special-Uspa Sportsman of the Month award on Thursday night at Center Court Tennis Club in Lugogo. “We must stop paying to reward success. I stand here as Kiprotich but there are other potential thousands of Kiprotichs whose talent should be nurtured.”
Kiprotich, the reigning 2012 Uspa Sportsman of the Year and odds-on favourite to win the 2013 award, expressed his gratitude towards the sports journalism body and promised to win more awards.
“This is the third time I’m here (as a winner). I will come back for a fourth and fifth and sixth.”
Kiprotich admitted that despite registering a marginally slower time, the race to clinch gold at the World Athletics Championship in Moscow had been more challenging than his triumph at last year’s London Olympics.
His sights are now set on the upcoming New York marathon where he will be the main attraction at one of the world’s most famous races.
Meanwhile Uspa’s technical team has given coach Brian Tuka a last throw of the dice ahead of their game against MTN today.
Tuka has been told he will be fired should Uspa fail to beat the telecom company.
“His team selections have been dubious,” a source privy to the technical committee’s deliberations revealed to Sunday Monitor.
Tuka intends to drop the diamond formation for a more conservative 3-5-2 for the game to be played at Makerere University Business School (Mubs) ground in Nakawa this afternoon.
