Kenyan athlete Mubarak Hassan Shammi, who has been running for Qatar since the last few years and has a best of 2:07, elicited the most questions and some laughs because of his animated behaviour at the Mumbai Marathon press centre yesterday
Kenyan athlete Mubarak Hassan Shammi, who has been running for Qatar since the last few years and has a best of 2:07, elicited the most questions and some laughs because of his animated behaviour at the Mumbai Marathon press centre yesterday.
Mubarak was formerly Richard Yatich of Kenya. He started running for Qatar later, one of those from African athletes bought over by other countries, especially the oil-rich Gulf countries like Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Mubarak said: "I'm from a very poor family. I used to run to my school (7 km) and back (7 km). I used to be always running from being sent by my grandmother in Kenya to buy tobacco, (here the athlete mimicked how they chew tobacco in Africa) to doing different errands."
He continued: "I am based in Kenya and train there. I had to change my name when I first ran for Qatar. At that time in Qatar people hardly knew anything about top-class athletics. Now, of course there is greater awareness. We had to change our names earlier, now we don't have to. I have not changed my faith though, I'm still a Christian."
Mubarak admitted his federation was angry with him for going to Qatar. "But, then they didn't understand the financial state of the athletes. Now, there are more opportunities and things are better for Kenyan athletes.
The officials have realised theyu00a0 must give athletes incentives to keep them there," said Mubarak, who rued his lack of education. "I want to give my child the education that I did not have," he said.
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