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The 2015 world javelin champion narrated a moment when he was disrespected by an Athletics Kenya official simply because he did not look formidable enough to win a medal.
Julius Yego has recounted a moment when an Athletics Kenya official almost shattered his dreams and how he used that disappointment to bounce back and become one of the greatest javelin throwers in the world.
Yego was just a young lad trying to make it to the top and at the time, he had just won the Kenyan Championships and was looking forward to represent the country in Poland. However, heading to an Athletics Kenya office to finalise his documentation before travelling, tables turned.
Speaking to Sport On on NTV, Yego revealed that an official told him he would not travel simply because they thought he was not capable of winning a medal. His passport was thrown at him, a level of disrespect Yego has yet to heal from.
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“As a young boy, I had just won the national championship. I had been entered into the team but what made me sad about it is when I went to Athletics Kenya to get a passport, I had a record, two days I got my passport. But after I got my passport, I was told I was not going to Poland just because they thought I could not win a medal,” Yego said.
He revealed that such an instance made him think about all those talented youngsters who went there with the hope of pursuing their dreams.
The 2015 world champion also thinks such demoralising acts are what have caused Kenya’s decline in steeplechase since most young athletes would opt to give up than keep pushing after being denied the chance to represent the country.
Yego says staying with his girlfriend in Malindi for a week helped him heal from the ordeal as he plotted a route back.
“That was the moment that changed my mindset about a federation because I started thinking about how many talents have been killed because they were told they couldn’t make it,” he added.
“Now, we are not doing well in steeplechase and now it got me thinking how do we expect to do well next year when opportunities are not being given to capable people. I don’t think that statement will ever leave my mind because someone even threw my passport and it got me thinking if I was useless in life.
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“That time I had a girlfriend in Malindi and I went there for a week just to relax. Throwing my passport was even disrespectful to the government because that’s their property.”
The former Olympics silver medallist has since settled scores with the official who was certainly there to witness his moment of breakthrough at the Maputo African Games in 2011 where he won a gold medal.
Yego then represented the country at the 2012 London Olympic Games where he finished 11th in the final and then bounced back at the 2013 World Championships where he managed fourth place. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Yego won a gold medal and extended his winning streak to the 2015 World Championships.
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He claimed a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games before injuries kicked in, slowing him down. Yego has struggled through the years to make a comeback but 2024 has been a very promising year for him as he looks to continue shining and placing Kenya on the map.
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