Kip Keino Classic: Athletes urged to invest bonuses wisely

The sixth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic  World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series was a marvel to watch at the historic Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi over the weekend.

The ultimate showdown attracted hundreds of top-calibre athletes from across the globe who brought the roof down at  Ulinzi.

While some world beaters breezed to the tape to lift the glittering trophies in their individual categories, others shattered records that saw them punch tickets to the Tokyo 2025 World Championship slated for Japan this September.

Participants who excelled in the cuthroat challenge at Ulinzi were equally rewarded for their brilliance, with over Sh 60 million spent on the glittering prizes that saw each category winner head home with Sh650,000, runners up make away with Sh390,000 and Sh260,000 for third place finishers in the core events.

In order to ensure local athletes put the healthy winnings into good use, talks are underway to equip the track conquerors with knowledge to ensure they invest and multiply the won bonuses wisely.

"The athletes need this critical training on financial literacy. They have told us they are eager to know some of the best ways to invest the money,"  Absa Bank Kenya Marketing and Corporate Affairs Director, Mwihaki Wachira, told Standard Sports.

" Financial literacy to the athletes is very key, it is something that we do so consistently, all year round. We did one earlier this year in Kaptagat during the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country  Championship, and the turnout was massive.

" It is very special to the participants and some of the most established athletes have admitted to us that they wished they were furnished with this knowledge earlier enough in their careers, to have made very informed choices," Wachira explained.

"Those who have won  money in this year's championship are exploring options that will help them to protect the funds, grow the winnings and put the money into good use," Wachira highlighted.

As title sponsors for this year's championship, for the sixth year running, Wachira says they are happy with the turnout at Ulinzi at the weekend, terming the D-Day as very colourful and electric.

" The day was good,  the weather was conducive . I believe all these worked well for the participants," Wachira stated 

"It was really an exciting day that was packed with action galore," she added.

Wachira strongly believes relocating this year's Absa Kip Keino Classic showpiece from Nyayo National Stadium, which is currently under renovations, to Ulinzi was a great plus and a blessing in disguise to the country,  as Kenya now has three World Athletics certified venues- Ulinzi, Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums.

" This move has truly opened up more spaces and areas that our athletes can now train, participate and compete in," Wachira stated.

While highlighting their long-term plan with the national athletics body, Athletics Kenya (AK), Wachira stated they are proud of the running six-year partnership with the AK that saw them sink Sh60 Million into the Absa Kip Keino Classic this year as title sponsors.

"Part of the funds have been used to support other athletic engagements," Wachira explained.

"The future of Kenyan sport, especially in Athletics, lies with the youth and part of our engagements with AK involves athletes in this category. We are out to support the youth meets organised in the 45 camps being run by AK and are spread across the country.

" We have gotten into this deal with the AK to help identify emerging talents in the camps. We are also working with a kitting company that is issuing proper running shoes and kits to these emerging young talents. "Running shoes is a critical component of an athlete's journey, and this is the reason we are ensuring the upcoming athletes are well equipped for the journey towards building their athletic careers," Wachira stated.

Even though they have been big in the English Premier League through their global affiliate, Wachira hinted that plans are underway for their brand to be involved in local football, as a way of spreading their tentacles away from athletics and golf.

" We will make a very big announcement on a local golf circuit in a couple of weeks. This will help to identify more golfing talents that will be good for the country at the prestigious annual Magical Kenya Open golf championship that we also support in a big way," Wachira underlined.