Sport-Blog.com

African athletes, and especially those from an East African nation called Kenya, are reputed to be the best in the world especially in the middle and long distance races to an extent where other top sporting nations have chosen not to enter these races for the simple reason that the Kenyans are unbeatable. What makes these men and women from the tiny east African state impossible to defeat?

For starters, most of the world renowned athletes from Kenya come from the highlands in that country. In the rift valley to be more specific, which is well over 6,000 feet above sea level. Here oxygen is "thin" hence making their lungs more efficient which comes in handy when it comes to endurance.

This has made these men and women absorb more oxygen into their lungs than their competitors without using any perfomance enhancing drugs and gives them an edge when it comes to the middle and long distance races.

Among the races that Kenyans have excelled in include the 3,000 meters steeplechase, the 5,000 and 10,000meters along with the marathon where names like Paul Tergat and Tecla Lorupe have become household names the world over due to their exploits
.
Another major factor that has made Kenyan athletes conquer the world is the simple fact that most of them started running around early in life due to problems like having to attend school far from home and had to jog the entire way to and from the education institutions.

It is not uncommon in Kenya for primary school pupils in the Rift Valley to attend school 8 miles from home since institutions are few and far in between as the population growth cannot match the expansion of educational facilities.
.
Poverty is also a major contributor as these men and women know that running has become a lucrative career where one can make millions of dollars over a short period of time as long as they keep winning and can get a good agent.

Most of these world beaters come from very humble beginnings with many of them having had to settle for a single meal in a day during their formative years as a result of abject poverty. According to statistics, about 70 per cent of Kenyans live below the poverty line having to survive on less than a dollar a day.

It is also not surprising that many athletes are now running for rich nations like Qatar where they are offered millions of dollars to denounce their Kenyan citizenship so as to run for their adopted nation, a move that has not gone down well with Kenyan authorities.

According to the Kenyan law, one cannot have dual citizenship and if you are granted citizenship by a foreign nation, you automatically lose your birthright.

The pioneer sportsmen who conquered the world in the 1972 Olympic games also set the ball rolling for future athletes who had to maintain the high standards.
.
Kipchoge Keino won the 3,000 meters race during those Olympic games and became an instant hero at home with the then president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta ordering his employers, the Kenya police to promote him from the rank of police corporal to chief inspector, the budding athlete was also honored during the independence day celebrations later that year.

It was then that Kenyans realized that athletics was a way of not only securing better job opportunities but also a means to fame and glory.

Today, the deal is even better as there are millions of dollars in commercial endorsements and prize money especially if one manages to break a world record or win several races in succession.

Athletics Kenya, the body running athletics in the country has also contributed to the success of the athletes by ensuring high standards of discipline are maintained among the sportsmen and women as well as ensuring that they are not exploited by unscrupulous agents who are known to misuse them and then discard athletes when they are burnt out.

Leading sports apparel manufacturers have also established modern training camps in the highlands which are opened throughout the year and allow potential athletes to train as much as possible paying little or nothing for the facilities as they are nurtured to world class level.

And again, Kenya's top athletes have been role models for millions of local youths due to the humility they depict as they appear in public with many of them having established foundations to assist aspiring athletes as well as the less fortunate in society.

For instance, marathon queen Tecla Lorupe has established a foundation which promotes peace among the warring communities where she comes from as cattle rustling is a common happening, which regularly claims human lives.

Lorupe organizes an annual peace marathon, which has become a very popular event not to mention the fact that it is succeeding in bringing peace among the war-like tribes of Pokots and Marakwets.

What a season. The New York Giants inherited the toughest schedule in professional football this year. Their first three games were a horror house-Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Seattle. After the bye week the Giants faced a year of match ups against the NFC's best teams. In fact the Giants played every team in the NFC playoff bracket. This year was so competative that the Giants were one of three teams from the same division to make the playoffs. In this competative year, however, the Giants managed to excel, earning a 6-2 record and a five game winning streak. In a November matchup against the Bears the Giants had a chance to become the best team in the conference. Then everything spun out of control.
The Giants started losing badly. The first loss came against the Bears, a game that they had well in control but fumbled because of bad special teams play. Next the Giants lost to the Jaguars, a game that they never appeared to be in any position to win. These two losses squandered a division lead but nothing compared to the Tennessee game. The Giants blew a 24 point lead in 10 minutes and lost due to a late Eli Manning combined with a Titans field goal. Vince Young romped through the Giants'r run defense and threw pin point strikes through the secondary while the offense, a powerhouse for three quarters, ground completely to a hault. This loss was demoralizing for fans and players and on that note the Giants limped into a rematch with Dallas. The tightly contested Dallas game capped off a four game losing streak that saw the Giants fall into a tie with a resurrected Eagles team, two games behind the Cowboys.
At first the losses could be blamed on the pernicious plague of injuries that hobbled the team. The Giants lost Amani Toomer and diversity in the passing game. The Giants lost Michael Strahan and Lavar Arrington and thus the talent and experience of their pass rush. Soon, however, the losses took on a much more menacing character. Eli Manning focused his passing solely on Plaxico Burress and in the process made pointless incompletions and devastating interceptions. Defensive players also suddenly lost the ability to tackle, failing to complete sure sacks against Vince Young that could have prevented Tennessee's comeback.
The Giants managed to turn around the losing streak with a victory against Carolina, avenging their playoff loss to the Panthers last year and earning an important tie breaker against a conference rival. They followed this win up, however, with sloppy and demoralizing losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans. The New Orleans loss, a 30-7 drubbing, was particularly humiliating. Despite these losses and the Giants drop to a 7-8 team, they still controlled their playoff destiny in the season finale against Washington. In the Redskins game the Giants basically gave a clear illustration of their whole season. They started out strong, scoring points in the first three quarters with good defense and a superb running game. In the fourth quarter however, the Giants demonstrated their will to lose by allowing two Washington touchdowns and failing to do anything on offense. When a 20 point lead had been cut to six, however, Tiki Barber took the team on his shoulders and scored a 55 yard touchdown run to put the game away and break the Giants single game rushing record.
With help from the rest of the league and their victory over the Redskins, the Giants earned the last NFC playoff spot and a rematch with the Eagles. It seems to the average fan that the Giants will not last long in this playoff tournament. However the Giants did manage to weather all obstacles including their brutal schedule.
This is a significant achievement for the Giants. As long as I have been a Giants fan they have failed to put together consecutive years of quality play. The Giants MO has been to cash in on a weak schedule and make a playoff run but fail miserably when the NFL gave them a tough schedule the following year. The fact that the Giants, for once, have managed to make the playoffs in consecutive years does give me something to feel good about. Perhaps the victory over the Redskins and making the playoffs will be a turning point that the Giants can ride to playoff success. I don't think there is an NFC that the Giants can't beat with their talented roster. If Tiki Barber has a great game and Eli doesn't make mistakes, the Giants can beat anyone. If the Giants, however, show their lack of discipline, experiences and intestinal fortitude, it could be a short playoff season.