Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed in the 10000M race at the Paris Olympics, has been hospitalised.
Cheptegei is said to have suffered severe injures in an attack on Monday in Trans Nzoia County by her alleged boyfriend.
According to the police, she is in critical condition and has been transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret for urgent medical care.
Reports indicate that her suspected assailant doused her with petrol and set her on fire.
The incident was confirmed by Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom, who stated that Cheptegei sustained burns over 75 percent of her body and is currently receiving treatment at MTRH.
The boyfriend also sustained serious burns in the incident and is receiving treatment at the same facility.
The police stated that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
Cheptegei’s parents, Joseph Cheptegei and Agnes Ndiema, shared that she was initially admitted to Kitale Level Four Hospital but was later referred to MTRH for specialized care.
The parents, who had been in Uganda, rushed to Trans Nzoia upon hearing about the attack.
The athlete is a resident of Cheminy in Uganda, but according to her parents, she bought land in Trans Nzoia and built a house where she has been living while training.
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