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Chebet, who won two gold medals at the Paris Olympic games, has been forced to relocate to Iten for training, bemoaning the sorry state of Kericho's facilities which have left athletes from that county at a big disadvantage.
Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet has issued a passionate call to action, urging stakeholders to address the dire state of Kericho Green Stadium.
Despite its renaming to Kiprugut Chumo Stadium in 2023 to honor the late Kenyan trailblazer who secured the nation’s first Olympic medal, the facility remains a symbol of unfulfilled promises.
Originally slated for completion after Mashujaa Day celebrations in 2023, the renovation project has been abandoned. Reports from The Nation in 2024 highlighted that the contractor halted work due to non-payment by the government.
Today, only the VIP gate and dais bear the new name, a move Chebet has described as more public relations than substantial progress.
The stadium’s track, crucial for athlete training, remains rocky and uneven, posing serious injury risks.
"The track at Kericho is not even tarmac. It is ver rocky," Chebet lamented on NTV. "I would rather they even just removed the stones and replaced them with murram. That way, you can use track spikes or normal training shoes to train there."
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The incomplete state extends beyond the track: the football pitch remains unlevelled, and critical infrastructure such as offices, washrooms, public pavilions, gates, and security walls are far from finished.
Frustrated by the stadium's condition, Chebet has moved to Iten to train under her coach and partner, Peter Bii. Although Kamariny Stadium in Iten is incomplete, it offers a functional murram track, which Chebet considers a significant upgrade comparatively. Similarly, Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, equipped with a tartan track, provides better training conditions.
"Stadia has been a problem for athletes in Kericho," Chebet explained.
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"Kamariny in Iten is not 100 percent. Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret is also not at 100 percent, but those stadia are more conducive for for us athletes, and that is why I had to move from Kericho to come and train in Iten."
Chebet's plea underscores the broader struggles faced by Kenyan athletes, many of whom lack access to adequate training facilities. For the Kericho Green Stadium to truly honor Kiprugut Chumo’s legacy and foster future champions, immediate action is needed to complete renovations and provide athletes with a safe and functional space.
Her message is clear: "For us, we have the Kericho Green Stadium—not the Kiprugut Chumo. But I think they should at least better the tartan track there by leveling the track there.
“As a result of its condition, I cannot really train ideally whenever I am in Kericho."
Chebet’s call serves as a rallying cry for stakeholders to fulfill their promises and ensure that Kericho Green Stadium becomes a beacon of athletic excellence, not a monument to stalled development.
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