Celebrated Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, has handed away after she was brutally attacked by her boyfriend, head of Uganda’s Olympic Committee has disclosed.
The assault, which befell on Sunday in Kenya, left Cheptegei with over 75% diploma burns on her physique. The famend athlete succumbed to her accidents on Thursday, marking a somber second for the athletics group.
The president of the Uganda Olympics Committee, Donald Rukare, confirmed the heartbreaking information in an announcement posted on X (formally twitter).
“We’ve got learnt of the unhappy passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei following a vicious assault by her boyfriend,” Rukare wrote. He continued, expressing his condolences, “Could her light soul relaxation in peace and we strongly condemn violence towards girls. This was a cowardly and mindless act that has led to the lack of an important athlete. Her legacy will proceed to endure.”
Cheptegei, 33, who had represented Uganda within the marathon on the Paris Olympics, suffered horrific accidents when her boyfriend allegedly doused her in petrol and set her alight.
The incident occurred in Kenya, the place Cheptegei owned a house and ceaselessly skilled. Regardless of her valiant efforts to get well, the accidents proved deadly, making her the third feminine athlete to be killed in Kenya since October 2021.
The stunning incident has drawn widespread condemnation and has reignited discussions in regards to the security and well-being of feminine athletes within the area.
Cheptegei, who completed forty fourth within the marathon on the Paris Olympics, was identified for her dedication to her sport and her inspiring journey from Uganda to the worldwide stage.
