Willy Chelewa, a 20-year-old athlete, fell and died on Monday at a hotel in Elgeyo Marakwet, leaving the Kenyan sporting world in shock.
Chelewa’s untimely death occurs a few days after he signed a sponsorship agreement with China to compete in international races, which was meant to be a career-changing event.
Shortly after drinking a cup of black tea, the athlete, who had been training with local teammates at a nearby hotel, passed out.
The talented athlete had just finished his tea and rice supper when he abruptly passed out, according to witnesses and local officials.
According to Peter Mulinge, the police chief for the Elgeyo Marakwet area, Chelewa had eaten his meal before passing out in the hotel in Kaptagat, which is home to several training camps for Kenyan athletes.
Investigations were started. The sporting community is concerned by Chelewa’s death and its unexpected and enigmatic circumstances.
Police responded by setting up camp at the hotel right away in order to gather evidence and conduct additional investigation.
In order to determine the cause of death, samples of the food and beverages he drank were collected for analysis.
The tragedy has affected Chelewa’s family as well as the athletic community.
Both organizations are calling for a comprehensive investigation to make sure that every possibility is explored in order to determine the cause of his premature death.
