Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan distance runner living in Kenya, was set on fire by her boyfriend during a disagreement in their home in Trans Nzoia County. The boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, bought a can of petrol and poured it on Cheptegei before setting her ablaze. Both Cheptegei and Ndiema sustained burn wounds and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Eldoret. Cheptegei’s parents revealed that she had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be close to athletic training centres in the area. The incident occurred amid a dispute over the land where their house was built. This tragic event is not the first involving violence against athletes in the region. In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds, and in 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was strangled to death. The ongoing trend of violence against athletes, particularly female athletes, highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and protection for those in the sports community. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that athletes, especially women, face both on and off the field.
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