Details of ‘Maasai Olympics’ event aimed at women's inclusion in sports
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 17.12.24. | 14:32
The event was created in 2012 by community leaders and conservation group Big Life Foundation
History was written on Saturday 15 December at the Kimana Conservancy as the Maasai Olympics took centre stage.
The event which brought together 160 athletes including 40 young women was a reimagination of a traditional coming-of-age rite in the Maasai community.
The Maasai see themselves as they see lions – as noble, superior, and formidable. More than that, lions have always been the ultimate measure of a Maasai warrior's courage.
In a rite of passage known in the Maa language as Olamaiyo, when a young man reached the age of maturity, he proved his readiness to become a warrior by killing a lion.
But the Maasai Olympics sought to replace the traditional killing of a lion -- and exclusion of girls with sporting prowess and increased visibility for women.
Events included 100-meter, 1,500-meter, and 5,000-meter races and traditional activities like throwing "rungus." Women only competed in the 100 and 1,500m races.
Speaking after crossing the finish line, Valentine Naisimoi who won the 100m race emphasized the event’s crucial role in uncovering the talents of girls from the marginalized Maasai community.
She noted that such events provided a platform for girls to showcase their abilities, helping them realize their potential in a society where women are often limited to traditional roles.
“Events like these are enjoyable because the girls will notice their talent. They are very important in these communities where women are just there to be married.
Women will now work hard for it and to help themselves in the future,” she said as per AFP.
On his side, event coordinator Samuel Kaanki promised that the upcoming editions would include more events to ensure the girls showcase their talent in several disciplines.
“We also need girls to participate in more events. When I go around to education meetings, many ladies ask me why they are not participating in this program.
When they see others running, they want to come to train and become champions,” Kaanki said.
The event was created in 2012 by community leaders and conservation group Big Life Foundation. The intention was to help preserve the region’s lions, which had plummeted from about 30,000 in the 1970s to just over 2,000.
The events have helped, according to the Big Life Foundation, with more than 250 lions now roaming the Amboseli ecosystem from fewer than 20 in the early 2000s.
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