Former world record holder advises Kenyan athletes on how to use thei…

NAIROBI, Kenya, September 11, 2026 – Former world record holder for the women’s marathon, Tegla Loroupe, has called on Kenyan sportsperson to better the lives of their local communities by participating in noble causes. solvita.blog

Loroupe holds that athletes should not forget their humble backgrounds even as they enjoy success on the international front.

“For sure, I think something they can learn from me is that I come from a humble background. I believe also even the current athletes, nobody comes from a rich family, they come from a humble background. This is something they should never forget,” the two-time New York Marathon champion said.

The 53-year-old rose from the dusty plains of the war-torn West Pokot to become one of the most distinguished female runners to ever emerge from Kenya.

Loroupe clocked 2:20:47 to set a new world record at the Rotterdam Marathon in April 1998, lowering it by four seconds, a year later at Berlin Marathon.

In addition to winning two New York Marathon titles, she also boast three Rotterdam Marathon crowns, and three world half marathon wins.

With the experience of the harsh conditions of growing up in a poverty-stricken area afflicted by conflict, Loroupe has channeled her success to the grassroots, becoming a voice of the voiceless, including girls from marginalised communities as well as refugees.

Through the Tecla Loroupe Peace Foundation, the former marathoner established annual Peace Run in Kapenguria to bring warring tribes together to lay down their arms in exchange for exploring their sports talents.

Reflecting on her struggles to scale up the athletics ladder, Loroupe says her eventual success should inspire many others faced with similar predicaments in their lives.

She also acknowledges that the situation has somewhat improved as cultural bottlenecks that had previously frowned upon sportswomen has thawed over the years.

“Nowadays, they have everything but during our time, we had a lot of luggage coming from the family. You didn’t have equipment or even money to take you to competitions but we did not lose hope. We had to fight…while you are still alive, you have to fight,” Loroupe said.

Other than running to put food on the table, Loroupe believes it should be a Kenyan culture adopted to fight lifestyle diseases.

The Covid-19 pandemic, Loroupe mentions, was a prime opportunity to ingrain a running culture among Kenyans.

“Look at the Covid-19 period, many people embraced running because they were tired of staying in the house. I wish we could have continued as a country with the same practice even after the pandemic ended,” she said.

Her passion for charitable causes were recently on show at the Strathmore Annual Run in Nairobi where she ran in the 2.5km race.

Loroupe admitted she didn’t think for a second when she was offered the opportunity to come on board the initiative, which seeks to raise funds for scholarship for needy students at the institution.

“I want to say something that motivated me is the VC (vice chancellor) who stood for charity to support the underprivileged students and therefore, that’s something that’s in my heart. When I see somebody who has the heart of supporting and is using this energy also to bring other people, that motivates me a lot. I may not give much but I am happy to contribute,” she said.

The intensity of the Vodacom Bulls’ training session in Stellenbosch this week ahead of their pre-season friendly against the DHL Stormers on Friday is exactly what young flyhalf Ruben Groenewald was looking for.

Having been pulled up to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad by coach Johan Ackermann for Friday’s encounter in Paarl at the Faure Street Stadium, Groenewald was given a taste this week of what to expect in this new phase of his promising career.

“The speed of the game at this level is definitely different. The basics of rugby stay the same, but the speed of the game is different, as well as the need to identify space and think quickly,” says the young star.

But while adjusting to the new demands of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship is one thing, Groenewald has been priming himself his entire life for this moment of pulling on the iconic blue jersey of a team he has always idolised.

The 19-year-old knows everything about the expectations at Loftus Versfeld having watched his father and former Vodacom Bulls scrumhalf Coenraad Groenewald play there. And his school rugby years at Afrikaanse Höer Seunskool also took place in the shadow of Loftus just across the road, where he established himself as a flyhalf with strong leadership skills who would also go on to shine at SA Schools and Craven Week level before putting pen to paper at the Vodacom Bulls.

“It actually feels unreal. I really didn’t expect that in my first year I’d be possibly playing in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. The team has been so good to me. It’s just a great environment here. I’m very grateful for the talent I’ve been given by God and I want to use it to make an impact for Him. So this is a positive step for my career, but also an opportunity just to remain humble and trust the coaches and how they see me developing.

“It was obviously always a dream to play for the Vodacom Bulls. My dad, Coenraad, played scrumhalf for the Vodacom Bulls. So from a young age I’ve been a Vodacom Bulls supporter. My dad and I would watch matches at Loftus. And at home I’d always have a Vodacom Bulls jersey on and playing rugby in the garden. To sign for them has been an incredible privilege and to be able to pull on this jersey,” he says.

And he’s eager to not just learn from the best in the game around him, but also the plethora of world-class internationals he could find himself competing against in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this season.

“It’s a great competition. It’s great exposure to play against international teams, and so many of these players are the best in the world in their positions. For me, it’s a great opportunity to learn. So I’m just focused on learning and taking in as much as possible from senior players around me like Curwin Bosch and Harold Vorster.”

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

Image Credit: Vodacom Bulls

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Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso admits his side face another tough test when they take on Chippa United at the Buffalo City Stadium this weekend.

The Brazilians come into this fixture high in confidence after claiming a comfortable 3-0 victory over Siwelele FC.

Sundowns will now travel to East London for their upcoming Betway Premiership fixture against the Chilli Boys.

Cardoso says the situation will leave Sundowns with limited recovery time ahead of their upcoming international commitments, but insists he does not want to make excuses as they turn their attention to Saturday’s clash.

“It will be a tough match, we play there on Saturday,” Cardoso said.

“A little bit of applications, I don’t want to speak about that but a change of the venue that will allow us to stay one more day, we’ve only flight the following day on the night to attach preparation for our international match the following weekend and it’s a pity that things are that way but I don’t want to cry, they say I cry too much.

“But I just stuck too reality, but now it’s time to think about the next match and to recover the players and think about the weekend thank you.”

The post Cardoso Warns Sundowns of Tough Chippa Test appeared first on SportsClub.

Le FC Barcelone continue de miser sur sa jeune génération. Le club catalan a officialisé ce vendredi la prolongation de Hamza Abdelkarim jusqu’en juin 2030. À seulement 18 ans, l’attaquant égyptien voit ainsi son avenir s’inscrire sur le long terme avec les Blaugrana.

Une ascension rapide pour Abdelkarim

Arrivé la saison dernière chez les U19 du Barça, Hamza Abdelkarim n’a pas tardé à attirer l’attention. Ses qualités techniques, sa vitesse et son efficacité dans les derniers mètres lui ont permis de franchir rapidement les différentes étapes.

Le jeune Égyptien s’est notamment distingué durant la préparation estivale, avant de faire ses débuts officiels avec l’équipe première face au Rayo Vallecano. Une progression qui lui a également permis de s’installer dans le groupe de la sélection égyptienne. Il a ainsi été retenu pour participer à la Coupe du monde 2026.

Le Barça sécurise son avenir

Initialement lié au club catalan jusqu’en juin 2029, Abdelkarim figurait parmi les dossiers que la direction souhaitait rapidement sécuriser. Le Barça a donc décidé d’anticiper afin de conserver l’un de ses jeunes profils les plus prometteurs.

Son nouveau contrat court désormais jusqu’en juin 2030. Une prolongation qui permet au club catalan de conserver la maîtrise de son avenir alors que ses performances pourraient attirer l’attention de plusieurs formations européennes.

Un pari sur la nouvelle génération

À 18 ans, Hamza Abdelkarim correspond au projet du FC Barcelone, qui entend continuer à donner une place importante à ses jeunes joueurs. Après avoir découvert l’équipe première et goûté au niveau international, l’attaquant égyptien devra désormais confirmer les promesses affichées depuis son arrivée en Catalogne.

Avec cette prolongation, le Barça affiche clairement sa confiance envers Abdelkarim et entend accompagner sa progression au cours des prochaines saisons.

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