Author(s):
Kjell Knudsen <webmaster@icbl.org> .
Nairobi, Kenya,
Tuesday 02 November 2004
In addition to its awesome wildlife, its stunning landscapes,
and its fascinating cultural diversity, Kenya is also renowned for the
prowess of its long-distance runners.
On October 27th in Nairobi, Kenya made an effort to share its wealth
Mereso Agina, of the Kenya Coalition Against Landmines, auctions off two-time Olympic medalist and four-time world cross country champion Paul Tergat. Tergat announced that he will be supporting the Nairobi Summit by running in the Nairobi 10km Road Race for a Mine-Free World.
as some of the country's best talent was put up for grabs at the Elite Athlete Auction. Organized by the Kenya Coalition Against Landmines as a publicity and fundraising event in preparation for the upcoming Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World, the Auction was a huge success and garnered extensive local media coverage for the upcoming review conference.
The idea of auctioning local talent was devised as a way to raise
awareness of the Summit itself, but also of the many side-events that
KCAL is organizing, including the Nairobi Road Race for a Mine Free
World (scheduled for Saturday November 27th). Representatives from
local organizations and the diplomatic community bid for the right to
have the Athletes, including world marathon record-holder Paul Tergat
and Ethiopian legend Haile Gebreselassie, compete for their team in the
race, which will include Summit delegates, landmine survivors, and
thousands of Kenyans.
The auction reached a fever pitch as Paul Tergat's name came up and his
legendary skills became the focus of a spirited bidding competition.
Mr. Tergat has volunteered to advocate for a mine free world and he
spoke at length with the audience and the media about how a recent trip
to southern Sudan brought him face to face with the enormity of the
landmine problem in the region. The 120,000 shillings it took to win
Mr. Tergat's talent will be combined with the rest of the proceeds in a
donation to the Jaipur Foot Project, a Rotary international project that
provides limbs free of charge to those in need, including victims of
landmines.
