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Geen regeringsvertegenwoordigers bij thuiskomst Paul Tergat

Tergat wuift naar zijn fans op Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Hes back! Paul Tergat, the all-conquering hero of Kenyan athletics, jetted back into the country on Friday evening to a rapturous reception.

Mursik
The reigning world marathon record holder, whose scintillating victory at the New York Marathon a fortnight ago captured the imagination of a nation, was received by a huge crowd of fans at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Aroni kakoit! Paul Tergat. Ongetoroch ak kecham! (Paul Tergat is here, let us receive him. We love him!) was the song that greeted the champion, minutes after he disembarked from the plane.After taking a swig of the mursik (traditional fermented milk) offered to him by the dancers, the marathon hero declared himself elated by his performance in New York and the way Kenyans had reacted to it.

Geen regeringsvertegenwoordigers
“I did it for Kenya. It was a very proud moment for me to perform so well at the very highest level,” he said.Tergat, who is also the world marathon record holder, said he was particularly delighted that Kenya had finally got a chance to host the world cross country championships.Tergat, one of the most recognisable faces in the world of athletics, was in the team that made the presentation for Mombasas bid to host the championships.His presence, and that of fellow marathoner Catherine Ndereba, added star power to the committees bid to convince IAAF council delegates to award the games to Mombasa.Surprisingly, there was no government official at the airport to receive Tergat.

Tanui en Ndreba
This detail however did little to dampen the mood. Yesterday afternoon, in the leafy Karen surburb, family, friends and fellow athletes laid out a sumptuous luncheon for the new champion.former Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui and the women Olympic silver medallist Ndereba were part of the sizeable crowd that turned up to fete Tergat.Also in attendance were his colleagues from the Armed Forces, together with representatives of organisations that support his foundation including the World Food Programme of which Tergat is a global ambassador.The crowning moment was the cutting of a huge cake etched with the words: ‘Congratulations for winning the New York Marathon. We are Proud of You.
On his memorable New York win, Tergat said: “This is one race I felt like I did not want to lose. I knew I had worked hard and was prepared in everyway,” he said. His slow start, he said, did not faze him. “My opponents panicked but I kept calm knowing this was a strange, long terrain. At the 35 km mark, I knew I had to stay with the leading pack and beyond the 40 km mark, it was more of a mental race,” he added.Tergat said he plans to take a two-month break to be with his family, before embarking on training early next year.”My next attempt will be the London marathon, which I intend to run in April. Before then, it is time for me to relax and just spend time with my family,” he said.

© Eastern Standard