This past weekend was arguably the greatest in Kenya’s sporting scene in a very long time. The power of sports as a unifying factor manifested in unmatched fashion as our gallant men and women of sports brought us joy and pride.
If you ever doubted that sports is our strongest selling point to the world, even more than coffee and tea, then clear your head.
The amazing week started on Tuesday when Kenya women’s football team, the Harambee Starlets, edged out fancied Black Queens of Ghana 1-0 on aggregate at the Kasarani Stadium, to progress in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers.
The Kenyan girls had managed to hold the Ghanaians in their backyard the previous week. Kenya has never sent a football team to the Olympics and the Starlets could just break the jinx this time.
Four days later on Saturday, the unthinkable happened. The greatest marathoner to ever walk on earth, Eliud Kipchoge, proved that no man is limited by running a full marathon in under two hours.
Dubbed INEOS 159 Challenge, Kipchoge, the reigning world men’s marathon record holder, took to the streets of Vienna, Austria Saturday morning and crossed the tape in 1:59.40.
A day later in Chicago, USA a 16-year-old world women’s marathon record was shuttered by Brigid Kosgei, who crossed the finishing line in 2:14.04.
On the same day in Tunis,Tunisia Kenya women’s rugby sevens team, the Lionesses, was hunting for a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Kenyan queens were in a ruthless form, winning all their matches until they were stopped by South Africa in the final, which they lost 14-15.
Despite relinquishing their Africa Women’s Rugby Sevens title to their bitter foes, South Africa, Kenya had already booked a place in the Tokyo Olympics for the very first time by reaching the final.
On the downside, Kenya men’s football team, the Harambee Stars, decided to spoil the ‘parte’ after going down 1-0 to visiting Mozambique at the Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.
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