Fresh from winning the 10km Cannes Road Race in France over the weekend, long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei had a business visit to one of the leading Pastors in the country, Robert Kayanja.
The man of God welcomed Uganda’s best sports export at Miracle Centre Cathedral found in Rubaga, Kampala yesterday.
Cheptegei, a born again who had gone to seek mentorship on top of inviting Pastor Kayanja to visit his multi sports training facility next month.
Currently under construction, Joshua Cheptegei training centre is located in Kwoti Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, just more than a kilometer from the government’s high altitude training centre.
The proposed training and high performance facility will target world-class standards and will be made up of the following: A standard running track, a gym, lodging facilities for local and international athletes, a sports museum, administrative building, dining hall, sports medical centre, camping site and an agro-tourism extension.
So far, the facility construction and development is in the final bend with a standard running track, startup accommodation for athletes and a basic gymnasium already in place.
Being an uphill task, a fundraising campaign is ongoing to see Cheptegei’s dream come to life and through such partnerships with influential people like Pastor Kayanja, the future is bright.
Construction works were commissioned in 2018 but stalled the following year due to lack of funds, however, after winning two medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Cheptegei launched fundraising drives to raise the 1.7 Billion Shillings aimed at fostering his project that’s run under the Cheptegei Foundation.
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.
