Africa’s leading payments technology company, Flutterwave has become the latest organization to donate towards the Cheptegei Foundation in a bid to facilitate the construction of the Joshua Cheptegei high altitude athletes training center in Kapchorwa district.
Flutterwave on Friday announced their donation of Ugandan shillings 20 Million (UGX20M) as a show of support for African talent competing on the global stage.
Cheptegei’s team also capitalized on Flutterwave donation platform by creating a fundraising link that allowed users across the globe to contribute.
Commenting on the announcement, Nielsimms Sangho, Uganda Country Manager at Flutterwave, said: “We’re incredibly excited to partner with one of Africa’s renowned sports heroes to support such a great initiative for East African youth. We are moved by Joshua’s talent, passion and vision to revolutionise sports for athletes and young people in Uganda and encourage all to join us as we change the lives of East Africa’s aspiring athletes through the love of sports.”
Commenting on the announcement, Joshua Cheptegei said: “My ambition has always been to establish facilities that will enable those that will come after me to achieve their dreams without going through the hardships that those before me and myself have gone through. This can only be achieved through having the right infrastructure and mindset.”
Cheptegei adds that financial constraints has been the biggest bottleneck facing the project as he has had to use his own money to buy land and establish a few facilities at the training centre.
He however, appreciates organisations and individuals that have been part of the drive and given the organization some money.
Cheptegei who commissioned construction works in 2018 says that his training facility will help young talented individuals to professionalize their athletics careers at “under grade ages”.
Construction works stalled the following year due to lack of funds, however, after wining at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal, Cheptegei launched fundraising drives, aimed at fostering his project.
He also says that, the facility will act as a sporting centre of excellence and for nurturing promising athletes, with limited opportunities of hiring professional coaches, to train them through their sporting careers.
Cheptegei told URN on Thursday that he has embarked on fundraising drives to raise the 1.7 billion Shillings required for the construction of the training facility.
Joshua Cheptegei, a Ugandan long-distance runner, is the reigning Olympic Champion at 5,000m and World Champion at 10,000m. He also holds the current world records for both distances, having beaten the previous records in 2020.
