President William Ruto has announced that the Kericho Green Stadium will now be called the Wilson Chumo Kiprugut stadium to honor Kenya’s first Olympic medalist.
“Allow me to celebrate Kiprugut Chumo , the first Kenyan to win an Olympic medal by renaming the Kericho Green Stadium, I think he deserves it,” the president said.
Kiprugut who died in November 2022 at the age of 84 won a medal for Kenya during 1968 olympic games.
Kiprugut took bronze in the 800 metres in Tokyo in 1964, less than a year after Kenya became independent; he went one better four years later when he won silver in Mexico City.
According to olympics, he got his start in track and field athletics as a schoolboy and participated in his first major tournament in 1958, when he ran in that year’s East African championship.
He retired from competition in 1969, but continued working as a coach and fitness instructor in the Kenyan army for another five years.
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In 2021 the them Kericho county governor Prof. Paul Chepkwony had suggest the renaming of the stadium in honor of the Trailblazing kenyan athlete.
“In athletics we have endeavored to upgrade the Kericho Green Stadium, which we are also going to take recognition of Kiprugut Chumo after winning the 1964 and we will be naming it Kiprugut Chumo Stadium,” the Governor declared.
