Fresh from being recognized as a hero during mashujaa Day celebrations on Kitui last week, double champion Lucas Wandia has been motivated ahead of Deaflympic Games set for Tokyo, Japan next month.
Wandia, has motivated him to work even harder as he prepares to represent the country in the Tokyo Games set for November 15 to 26.
At 36, the double Deaflympics gold medalist in the men’s 3000m steeplechase was among the 31 sports personalities who were feted during this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations held on October 20 at Ithokwe Stadium in Kitui.
Sharon Bitok Jeptarus was the other deaf athlete honoured during the national celebrations presided over by His Excellency President William Ruto.
Wandia says that their recognition has made the deaf athletes “feel appreciated”, motivating them to put more effort in flying the country’s flag even higher.
“Now we can see that deaf athletes are being seen and appreciated,” said a delighted Wandia at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi where he has been training for the Tokyo Deaflympics. “It motivates us to continue working hard and contribute in efforts to make our country proud,” added the former Team Kenya captain.
The Tokyo Deaflympics will mark Wandia’s fourth appearance at the global championships. He made his debut at the 2013 edition in Sofia, Bulgaria where he won a silver medal. He went on to claim a gold medal in the next edition held in Samsun, Turkey, before successfully defending the title at the 2022 Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil with a time of 9:25.27.
Attributing his dominance in the competition to self-belief and a strong working relationship with his coach, Wandia expressed confidence that he will once again make history by successfully defending the title for the third consecutive time. “I believe that I will again return home with the glittering gold. I have worked hard and have prepared well for the championships,” the double Deaflympics gold medalist asserted.
“The reason why I always win is because I believe in myself and my coach. With the programme that we have developed together, I believe that I can do anything.”
Wandia backed his compatriots in the race – Jacob Kibet and Peter Lagat and the rest of Team Kenya to shine in the Games, citing their rich talent, confidence and improved skills.
“I believe that God will help me and my team to represent Kenya very well. We are hoping to claim all the top three positions in this category. We are going to perform very well because we have the confidence and skills that we have harnessed. I am hoping that all those medals that we were not able to get when we went to Brazil, we will harvest them this time around,” stated the national hero. He appealed to the government to ensure that deaf athletes are not left out in the new cash reward scheme by the state.
Last month, President Ruto announced that gold medalists at major global championships will now receive Sh 3 million, up from Sh 750,000.
Silver medallists will pocket Sh 2 million, an increase from Sh500,000, while bronze medallists will receive Sh1 million, up from Sh350,000.
“I’m hoping that the promise of these cash awards will be realised because many times you find that our hearing colleagues are given these cash awards but for the deaf community, it is very different. As a special community, we really need these resources, they need to be equal because we are all representing Kenya,” he appealed.
Athletics accounts for the largest share of Kenya’s contingent of 177 athletes heading to Tokyo. Men’s handball, swimming, women’s basketball, and golf are the other disciplines where Kenya will compete at the Deaflympics.