The National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Gladys Shollei, has urged athletes to make smart financial choices with their proceeds to enable them to have better livelihoods after retirement.
Shollei said if the smart financial choices are undertaken early enough when the athletes embark on the sporting career, it will prevent the financial struggles that many retired athletes face.
“It is important that athletes invest wisely from the profit they make. An individual wanted to buy some land for farming, and I advised him to buy apartments since farming is not very profitable and he is doing well now,” said Shollei.
“We need to prepare our athletes not just for their careers in sports but for life beyond it,” she emphasised while urging them to be prudent on financial matters.
The Deputy Speaker, who doubles as Uasin Gishu Women Representative, was speaking during the Sports Technology Conference Africa 2024, themed ‘Impact of Technology and Science in Sports Development and Performance’ an event held at Strathmore University Business School in Nairobi.
The event aims at coming up with strategies on how athletes could leverage cutting-edge technology to maximise their sports performance and to focus on strategic career management, financial well-being, and post-retirement planning areas that are never addressed during their active years.
Shollei at the same time called for deeper collaboration between the private and public sectors to ensure athletes are well-prepared for life both on and off the field, noting that when they are equipped with skills beyond the sports, such as public speaking and media handling, they will be ready to face challenges in and out of the spotlight.
The Deputy Speaker also pointed out a significant gap in healthcare in the sporting sector, where she noted the country has only one doctor specialising in sports medicine.
Dr. Edna Thangu, a representative from Kenyatta University who spoke at the event, emphasised the need for inclusion and support of athletes with disabilities across all levels of athletics.
“It is vital that athletes with disabilities should not be ignored but given equal opportunities with the able bodied athletes,’ she stated.
Renowned Javelin athlete Julius Yego underscored the unity of Kenya’s sports community in shaping a better future for its athletes.
The Sports Tech Africa event was a resounding success, with insightful discussions, powerful stories, and a shared vision for a future where athletes not only excel on the field but thrive in all aspects of their lives.
The event provided the athletes an opportunity to highlight the broader issue of underdevelopment in critical areas, including the training of physiotherapists and a solution to bridge the knowledge gap and enhance continuous learning for both athletes and healthcare professionals in the area of technology.
By Patience Mabonga
