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Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei dies after being set alight by ex-boyfriend
Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.
The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.
The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two daughters.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she had helped out other runners financially.
A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land. Police say an investigation is under way.
Cheptegei, from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya’s elite athletics training centres.
Attacks on women have become a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports,” Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said.
Speaking to journalists outside the hospital where she had been treated, Mr Cheptegei asked the Kenyan government to ensure justice was done after the death of his daughter.
“We have lost our breadwinner,” he added and wondered how her two children, aged 12 and 13, would “proceed with their education.”
Dr Kimani Mbugua, a consultant at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, told local media that the staff did all they could for her but the athlete “had a severe percentage of burns, which unfortunately led to multi-organ failure, which ultimately led to her passing this morning at 05:30 [02:30 GMT]”.
Kirwa, who had visited Cheptegei in hospital, told the BBC she “was a very affable person. [She] helped us all even financially and she brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics. She was like an older sister to me”.
Uganda’s athletics Federation saidin a post on X:”We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”
“This is heartbreaking. Even more heartbreaking that it’s not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence,” British Olympian Ellish McColgan wrote on X .
Cheptegei’s former boyfriend was also admitted to the hospital in Eldoret – but with less severe burns. He is still in intensive care but his condition was “improving and stable”, Moi hospital’s Dr Owen Menach said.
Earlier, local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom was quoted by local media as saying: “The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”
This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure, the head of Uganda’s Olympiccommittee Donald Rukare said on X.
Talking to reporters earlier in the week, her father said that he prayed “for justice for my daughter”, adding that he had never seen such an inhumane act in his life.
Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics.
She also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
Her death comes after the killings of fellow East African athletes Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Damaris Mutua the following year, with their partners identified as the main suspects in both cases by the authorities.
Tirop’s husband is currently facing murder charges, which he denies, while a hunt for Mutua’s boyfriend continues.
(BBC)
Emeritus Professor of Anthropology Gananath Obeyesekere has passed away at the age of 95.
Latest News
Acceptance of nominations for Punakiri, Mannar and Dehiattakandiya local authorities ends at 12 noon on Thursday (27th March 2025)
The Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake issuing a media release states that the acceptance of nominations for the Punakiri Pradeshiya Sabha in the Kilinochchi district, Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha in the Mannar district and Dehiattakandiya Pradeshiya Sabha in the Ampara district which commenced on 24th March will end at 12noon on 27th March 2025.
The poll notice for the three above named local authorities was published on 10th March 2025 and the acceptance of deposits for the same will end at 12noon on 26th March 2025.
The Gabba will be demolished after the 2032 Olympic Games, and cricket will move to a new 60,000-seater stadium in the Victoria Park area of Brisbane, which will be built for the Olympics.
Queensland’s premier David Crisafulli announced the latest plans for Olympic infrastructure on Tuesday, with cricket a pivotal figure in the outcome, having been impacted by the uncertainty over what the state would do after going through various proposals since being awarded the Olympics in 2021.
When Cricket Australia announced its seven-year international venue allocation in 2024, the Gabba was only guaranteed international cricket until next summer’s men’s Ashes amid the wrangling over whether the ground would be redeveloped or replaced. “This decision gives us certainty about venues and scheduling which in turn allows us to ensure Brisbane hosts the very best possible international and domestic cricket,” CA said in a statement. “We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people of Queensland.
“On behalf of the cricket community we want to thank the Queensland Government for seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the fans, the city and the state the stadium they deserve.”
Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the 2028 edition in Los Angeles having only previously featured in 1900. Should it be retained for 2032, it is earmarked for Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena as well as the Gabba in what would shape as the ground’s final matches before it is knocked down.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba’s swansong,” Crisafulli said at an event in Brisbane.
The Gabba was initially set to be demolished and rebuilt for A$2.7 billion under the Labor government for the 2032 Games before that was scrapped amid a backlash over rising costs. It was then set for a $600 million facelift under Labor before those plans were also abandoned under the new government.
(Cricinfo)
Prof. Gananath Obeyesekere passes away aged 95
Acceptance of nominations for Punakiri, Mannar and Dehiattakandiya local authorities ends at 12 noon on Thursday (27th March 2025)
Gabba to be demolished after 2032 Olympics, cricket to get new home in Brisbane
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