Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically passed away after sustaining 80% burns on her body in an attack by her partner. She was receiving treatment at a hospital in Kenya, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries. The attack occurred during a disagreement when her partner, Dickson Ndiema, poured petrol on her and set her ablaze. Ndiema was also injured and was receiving treatment at the same hospital. Cheptegei had bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near athletic training centers, where she pursued her passion for running.
The local chief reported that the couple was fighting over the land where their house was built before the fire incident. This tragic event is not the first involving Olympic athletes in the region, with past incidents including the death of Ugandan runner Benjamin Kiplagat in 2023 and Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee in 2022. Both cases involved violence, with Kiplagat found dead with stab wounds and Muthee’s cause of death confirmed to be strangulation. Cheptegei’s untimely death has once again highlighted the issue of violence against athletes and the need for better protection and support for those in the sports industry.
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