Last Updated on 08/09/2024 by Arun jain
Rebecca Cheptegy appears on a giant screen after the marathon events at the Paralympic Games in Paris in a tribute to the Ugandan runner. died She was doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya.
On Sunday, spectators applauded as the face of Paris Olympics marathon runner Cheptagi was displayed on the Esplanade des Invalides.
Cheptegi died on Thursday, four days after her partner assaulted her in the latest attack on a female athlete in the country.
The 33-year-old committed suicide after her boyfriend poured petrol over her and set her on fire in Kenya, becoming the third female athlete killed in the country since October 2021.
The 33-year-old Cheptegi suffered burns over 75 percent of his body in the August 31 attack.
The incident came weeks after Cheptagi competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th.
On Friday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the French capital would pay tribute to Cheptegy by naming a sports facility in his honor.
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom and in all that potential it was her beauty, strength and freedom that was unbearable for this murderous man,” Hidalgo told reporters.
“Paris will not forget her. We will dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story live among us and help carry the message of equality, the message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Cheptegi is the third prominent sportswoman killed in Kenya since October 2021.
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen described Cheptegi’s death as a loss “for the entire region”.
Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) Athletes Commission Chairman, Ganzi said, “This is a defining moment – not only to mourn the loss of a remarkable Olympian, but to commit to creating a society that respects and protects the dignity of every person. ” Semu Mugula said on Friday.
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