Soon after the sorry situation of an old athletic legend Henry Rono ran in a feature show casing the sad situation of Rono currently pleding for help in obtaining ticket back to Kenya got to the ears of another legend in the history of kenyan athletics Kip Keino, he has declared actionon the plight.
“I’m ready to buy Rono his ticket. It is me who got him into competition in the US and I will make sure he comes back home,” Keino told the Nation on Wednesday. “We need him to come home and see his family.”
He has since been working as an airport security guard in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has lived for 32 years.
Rich Dafter, his close American friend and supporter, was quick to set up a fund-raising drive aimed at catering for Rono’s upkeep.
“He has been sick with the flu and can’t work. I saw him yesterday and he is the same Henry that I have always known. He has a Nandi warrior’s heart and his mind wants to be able to direct his body to do what it does best,” Dafter stated.
Both Keino and Rono were Kenyan golden boys in the 60s and 70s with the pair winning a couple of medals for Kenya with Keino winning two gold medals (Kenya’s first) in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Rono however was not fourtunate to win any Olympic medal as Kenya had boycotted the Olympics in 1976 and 1980 when he was at his prime.
Rono then fell victim to alcoholism that has gretely contributed to his misery.
Jack Tuwei, Athletics Kenya President, revealed that he had received numerous offers to support Rono.
“Many other athletes are ready to help him because once he gets back home, he will also need financial support to settle down,” he added.