Joshua Cheptegei headed to Netherlands with family

For the first time ever, World and Olympics champion Joshua Cheptegei will travel with his family to a race – and eventually holiday - in the Netherlands in less than three weeks time from now.

The trip comes after the mother of two children, Carol Yeko Kamari, introduced the global superstar to her family in Cheminy, Kween District, on Saturday.

Cheptegei, one of the finest endurance runners on the planet, is expected to take part in the seven hills race in Nijmegen in the Netherlands on November 21.

“After a long period of organising for the introduction ceremony, I felt it befitting to take them along with me to Netherlands to relax and return home for the Christmas holiday when fresh,” Cheptegei told this newspaper yesterday.

“My family is very close to me and I think it will even boost my performance knowing my greatest inspiration is in town. I mean, how would I feel being on holiday thereafter after a defeat? God will grant us this win,” he added.

The weekend traditional marriage ceremony brought Sebei Sub-region to a standstill.

On the eve of the do, Cheptegei and his team launched the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation, which seeks to use sports to transform the community.

He then hosted his guests, numbering hundreds, to a luncheon at two top hotels before retreating at about 6pm with the people closest to him to put final touches to the preparations for the traditional ceremony.

In the evening, the athlete organised a social gathering at Kingoo Cottages, where his advance party from Kampala and Kenya met to merrymake ahead of the highly anticipated introduction ceremony.  Word started making rounds that renowned stars David Rudisha, Geoffrey Kamworor, and Bridget Kosgey, among others, were in town. 

The group had braved the journey through Kitale into Bukwo and eventually to Kapchorwa town.

Shortly after 10pm, the party was well underway with veteran superstar Stephen Kiprotich and new kid on the block Jacob Kiplimo among the guests. The night was filled with fanfare with the sport’s crème le da crème under one roof, this time to celebrate and not to compete as had always been the case.

The Kenyan athletes, like the Ugandan ones, belong to the Kalenjin ethnic group. So the discussions were majorly in the local dialect. The music, too, was heavily Kalenjin. 

Solidarity

The appearance of the Kenyan team looked so much like an appreciation to Cheptegei’s team. The Ugandan team had a week earlier travelled to Kenya to attend the burial of athlete Agnes Tirop who was killed in what is suspected to be crime of passion.

It was a night to remember that the two sides belong to one family; the Kalenjin. But the major party the next day cut the night short as the guests retreated to their rooms.

It was at the introduction ceremony the next day that Cheptegei whispered to this newspaper that he would be heading to Netherlands with his family.

The Dutch country is a special one for Cheptegei in many ways. His manager Jurrie van der Velden, who was present at the weekend functions in Kapchorwa and Kween districts, is Dutch. His coach Addy Ruiter, also based in Kapchorwa, hails from the Netherlands.

Cheptegei is highly famed as the king of Nijmegen, the oldest city in the country, having scooped four victories there. He is headed for the fifth, and then a holiday.