Daily Nation reportsNumerous honking cars and matatus full of exuberant relatives, decorated with an explosion of colours were at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Tuesday evening in time to receive the triumphant kings and queens of open country running.
They came a few carloads at a time, some tailgating in the JKIA parking lot, others simply whooping and high-fiving and laughing the hours away.
By the time the conquering national Cross Country team landed at JKIA at around 6:31pm from Bydgoszcz where they won a clean sweep of the races on offer - senior men and women, junior men and women together with the team title - about 3, 000 well-wishers and relatives had assembled.
“I’m happy to be back home. It was a fruitful trip and I’m delighted with this win,” said a joyous Joseph Ebuya, winner of the men’s senior title, after a 10-year hiatus.
“I’m now focusing on the World Championships and the next World Cross Country.”
Everyone jostled to have a glimpse of the champions.
“We are extremely happy to have these kinds of results and this is a great day for Kenya,” remarked Youth and Sports Minister Hellen Sambili. “There’s need to revise (upwards) the bonuses these athletes are getting.”
I couldn’t agree more with the minister: These world conquerors certainly deserve more.
“I couldn’t believe it. Linet (Masai) was pushing me really hard but when I saw the finishing line, I knew this was my chance and went ahead to grab it,” said Emily Chebet, the senior women’s gold medalist. “The Ethiopians couldn’t believe it, they were very sad and shocked. But we were happy.”
Vantage position
The juniour men’s champion, Caleb Mwangangi, was equally elated. “The best I had ever done was a silver medal last year during the World Youth Championships in Italy,” Mwangangi said. “The party has just started in Mwala (his birthplace in Machakos).”
The junior women’s team returned their first perfect score in 10 years after the class of Villamoura 2000, comprising among others, Vivian Cheruiyot and Alice Timbilil, swept the boards in the junior contest in Portugal.
Mercy Cherono, the 2010 junior women’s champion, knew it was ‘war’ from the gun.
“The moment the gun went, I knew this was going to be a tough race. The Ethiopians had given us trouble for a long time. But one can’t keep on winning all days. Our time had come,” said Cherono.
On Sunday, she shook off the challenge of Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba to win the gold, the only medal missing in her collection as a junior. In Amman last year, Cherono had to watch as Dibaba came from behind in the final 200 metres to win the gold.
This year, it was Cherono who did the pace and running to claim gold as she romped home in 18 minutes and 47 seconds leading a 1-2-3-4 finish for Kenya.
But head coach David Letting remains humble. Rather than bask in the glory, he has already set his sights on the next event.
“We need to start to prepare early for our next event. Preparations must start tomorrow. I’m confident that a bulk of this team will be in top gear before the next championships,” Letting said.
Maintain the tempo
When the team landed, joyous shouts rent the air as everyone squeezed for a vantage position to welcome the champions like many would do with Usain Bolt or the world Cup trophy, with every single step of every athlete being captured Live on NTV.
“How can I miss this chance to welcome my friend back home? He’s done us proud and the party won’t stop in our village in Mwala,” said Benson Mutuku, a close friend to junior men gold medalist, Mwangangi.
“This is a very rare chance for our national athletics team. We need to maintain the tempo and claim more races in future,” said Bob Cheruiyot, a Satellite Academy student at the airport. “It gives us the morale to work even harder in our races. They are true role models.”
Security men at the usually busy airport had a difficult time controlling the crowd and not even the evening downpour was to deny them the chance to dance and sing their hearts out; after all, their brothers and sisters were back home.
After emerging from the glass door at the International Arrivals, the athletes and management acknowledged the adulation channeled in their direction by hundreds of flag-waving fans.
Journalists would be seen gate-crashing into ‘small family re-unions’ for interviews from family members, friends and even the junior school teachers.
There would be no denying of a Kenyan festival for a long time.
President Kibaki will host the team on Wednesday at State House from 10.30am before they leave for lunch at Panari Centre from 1pm.
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