Kenyan Athletes Should Seriously Consider Changing Nationality! Kenyan Born Ruth Jebet Paid 52 Million And Thrown A King-like Party For Winning Bahrain Its First EVER Olympic Gold (Photos)
The king of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, made sure Kenyan born Ruth Jebet was spoilt with millions of shillings and thrown a party we only see in Hollywood movies.
Patriotism my foot! While the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) was suffocating Kenyan athletes in Rio, Kenyan born runners who switched nationalities were receiving king-like treatment in their newly adopted countries.
Bahrain finished at position 48 in Rio Olympic medal standing, 33 positions behind Kenya. The Middle East country bagged only two medals; 1 gold and 1 silver which were all won by Kenyan born athletes.
19-year-old Ruth Jebet won Bahrain gold in women’s 3,000 meters steeplechase while Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa (another Kenyan) won Bahrain silver in women’s marathon.
Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet (gold), Kenya’s Hyvin Jepkemoi (silver) and USA’s Emma Coburn (bronze) show their medals which they won in women’s 3000m steeplechase
The tiny Gulf island of Bahrain has sought to replicate the Kenyan success story in athletics by naturalizing Kenyan athletes.
Bahrain and other wealthy talent-scarce Middle East countries have been luring Kenyan athletes with crazy amounts of money and other irresistible incentives.
Javelin maverick, Julius Yego, was offered Kes 1 billion by Qatar to ditch his Kenyan citizenship but surprisingly he turned it down because he loved Kenya. And what did Kenya do to him in return? Yego almost missed his flight to Rio as NOCK had no ticket for him on the day he was supposed to depart to Brazil alongside other athletes.
While Kenyan athletes are grumbling about NOCK which has been crippled by corruption, Kenyan born athletes who switched nationalities were being treated as national heroines and heroes in their newly adopted countries.
The king of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, personally attended a party that was held in honor of Ruth Jebet and Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa.
Bahrain’s ruling monarch posing with Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet and Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa at a party
Jebet was paid a whopping Kes 52 Million for winning Bahrain its first EVER Olympic gold. She switched nationality three years ago after Bahrain offered to pay her school fees, and basically everything she wanted.
“There was no support in Kenya. We talked with the (Bahrain) federation and they said ‘you can come, and we will pay for everything’.” Jebet was quoted by Reuters.
Reuters also reported that more than 30 Kenyan-born runners represented other countries in Rio Olympic. Kenyan athletes should seriously consider changing nationality, patriotism won’t pay your bills or feed your family. Politicians and corrupt officials will keep on growing fat bellies and make you dance to patriotism tune when in sense you are languishing in poverty!
