Top of the world

You can achieve anything in the world, reality far outweighs surrealism, this is just but one of the many lessons in life I've become accustomed to. With a strong will comes the undying strength to manoeuvre on, despite the challenges we have to encounter in whatever quest we get involved in. A third world state has problems. Well, many problems to be precise all as a result of paltry human development indexes. Poor health systems, under developed infrastructure, high crime rates whatnot, all sum up to low living standards among people who inhabit such countries. Even though Kenya is termed as an emerging economy it's still ranks low in human development index (147). As a result She has to bear the brunt of playing second fiddle to developed nations much like the other LDCs. But Africa always has a surprise package to the world, the humble black continent is a powerhouse in the offing. Many commendable things have unfolded here, great men and women to have walked this globe have called her home, a land of massive opportunities still virgin and untapped. Whereas the whole world despises and looks down on Africa, the people are slowly perceiving their potential and putting everything on the line for the future. There are infinite number of times that i've appreciated being African, when the whole world pours scorn we always find in us something so special and appealing, it never for any moment escapes our hearts. The just concluded world championships in Beijing not only reflect the potential we have but our ability to withstand all manner of criticism and still get to the top. Kenya standing at the zenith of medal rankings and achieving such a fete for the first time is an accomplishment that will last the telling. This was probably the best any African country has ever achieved in the world stage. Kenya bagged seven gols, six silvers and three bronze medal outpacing the U.S and Jamaica who were the closest challengers. Of the seven golds four were a sure gamble at least going by what I know and they included those from seasoned athletes in the form of Rudisha, Kemboi, Kiprop and Cherotich. Am however still baffled at how we achieved the other three, to start with, Kenya has never been traditionally involved in short races, it's always a shot in the dark, so when Bett rose to the occasion to win the 400m hurdles he pulled the biggest surprise not only to Kenyans but to the world of athletics in general. We all know Yego, don't we? Well the self proclaimed "youtube javelin thrower" was at it again, and this time he did it in a perfectly crafted way. After two foiled attempts the man came back to throw the furthest in fourteen years and in the process became the third best thrower of all time, all hail Yego for earning Kenya her first ever field event gold medal. It's such a pity still that some people can never believe such a thing to be true, calling us cheats. Kenyan athletes are accused of using banned substance more than any other country infact a study shows African athletes undergo alot of scrutiny as compared to their counterparts. We uphold equality and fairness and therefore remain aligned to anti-doping policies that have been enacted by IAAF but when people begin to doubt our athletes who have the approval then their objectives start to become more and more sinister. All attention should now shift to Rio Olympics, as we wish the national sevens rugby team success in their qualifications slated for November in South Africa. We would have qualified much earlier had we finished in the top four of the just concluded World sevens series nonetheless we have been seeded as the top team, we have no choice but to finish at the top spot to gain the qualification. There appears not to be any serious competition but we need to be very clinical with sides like Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tunisia to ensure we qualify effortlessly. Should we fail to clinch the top spot but finish among the top four then we'll book a ticket for the final qualifications however it will involve other runners up from all over the world which would make it more tougher since only one would be picked. I hope we will repeat this stellar performance in Rio.