Former Olympic Games 800m champion Wilfred Bungei has termed alcoholism, doping and Athletics Kenya Politics as a disease that needs urgent treatment before the fall of talents or goes the Russian way.
Bungei, who was the team captain for the 2008 Olympic Games was one person who struggled with alcoholism immediately after retiring from active athletics, advocated for clean sport before deciding to venture into business after fighting a losing battle to change Athletics Kenya management.
The former world 800m silver medalist said he started drinking too much alcohol due to idleness and a vacuum he felt following his retirement.
During an interview with the Star at Nandi Bears golf club, Bungei said immediately after retiring from athletics career in 2010, there was a vacuum in his life.
“I was so idle after my retirement because initially, I had lived a life of a full-time athlete for 365 days in a year. My life span of 15 years was in athletics, therefore, I never had an opportunity socialize like other age-mates. Once I retired, I didn’t have much or more less nothing to do therefore I resorted to bench drinking before I knew it, I was a full blown alcoholic. It took me a roller coaster of two years to recover,” said Bungei.
He realized he was alcoholic in September 2012 and had to admit himself at the treatment centre or rehabilitation. The man who never went to sit in a bar to drink, he used to do bench drinking (buying and taking alcohol from home),” said the athlete who admitted that despite making too much money in his teenage, the cash never distorted his life.
“I could drink for a continued five days and I could go for four months before drinking again but once I was drunk, it was chaotic all the time,” added the man who joined politics in 2017.
He explains that he could drink for seven continues days and there was withdrawal for three to four months. But once he checked into the rehab centre, he wanted to return home after two days claiming he was well.
“As alcoholics, we are the know it all people. Always arrogant, know everything, know their problems but they don’t want to admit that they are alcoholic. I was admitted for six weeks, but I thought I was well after two days. At the facility fellow alcoholics, who we used to call ourselves inmates and the management decided to vote and determine if I was to leave the facility or not but I was not favoured at all. They all voted for me to stay in the facility, which I accepted. For the six weeks, I was admitted, they were so good for me and I discovered myself. I spent about a million shillings but never went to waste at all,” he said.
He says that when he looks at how much money he consumed on alcohol, he would have lost everything at this time and after returning, it is now seven years and counting without taking it.
“Unfortunately for me I never had drinking friends as others have. My drinking was at home. I decide to be out myself and people never knew I was a drunkard. Am happy that seven years down the line I have never taken alcohol,” he added.
According to him, many sportsmen and women performing at a high level across the world always have a vacuum, basing on the discipline they had in all their sporting careers, due to that vacuum, the chances of them joining alcohol or drug use is very high.
“According to the books o have read, the majority of footballers or sports people, out of five players, three of them will go under after two years of retirement it means they have nothing to do. After two years of retirement another one will go in five years another will survive in a span of five years. This is a global thing that needs to be addressed. This happens in even movie and music stars. This is how talents go to waste. Some people fail to handle fame which is unfortunate and I blame the society for failing to help us that these people need help,” he explained.
Due to early retirement, they have nothing to do because they have been in sports throught their teenage. They run as teenagers, they have never had plans and that is where the issue is. When they retire in their late 20s or early 30s they have never known of anything else apart from sports.
“Young people don’t know where to start and those who have invested in farms, apartments among others are never enough. The idleness is where the big issue is. That is why I have always said government and federations should have a long term plan for oursportsmenn and women so that when they retire, they have something to do.”
Taking the case of former boxer Conjestina Achieng, Bungei was furious in a manner in which her case was handled by those claiming to take her for rehabilitation.
“I never liked it when some people took Achieng for treatment. They paraded, ridiculed, portrayed and exposed her. Such people needs special care treatment and not exposing her to such extend,” explained Bungei.
He said the current crop of athletes have gone to school unlike in the past where we depended on 100% running, making investment a thing of the past. The level of illiteracy was high and even some athletes can fit anywhere in the society “I am happy with those athletes who chose to join uniformed forces in the country will make their life better but civilians do suffer after retirement.”
Source: The Star