Kenyan Olympic champion Bungei quits athletics for politics

Wilfred Bungei

Nairobi: Beijing Olympic Games 800m gold medallist Wilfred Bungei of Kenya has quit athletics to pursue a career in politics in order to inspire youth to believe in themselves. The 37-year-old Bungei, who became World No. 1 in 2002, claimed the major title he coveted for long when he won the Olympic gold with a time of 1:44.65 with a dominant front-running performance in 2008.

"As a motivational speaker who has been inspiring the youth, I want to go one step higher to offer political leadership and open for them opportunities that can impact on their living," he told Xinhua.