Why Julius Yego's project with American firm is yet to launch nearly a year after conception

Nearly a year after it was conceived, former world javelin champion Julius Yego’s much-anticipated grassroots project, Kenya Golden Arm, remains stalled.

The project was launched in October 2024 in partnership with American firm Throwing Zone.

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It was set to revolutionize javelin training in Kenya by introducing specialized equipment to schoolchildren across the country, with the goal being to nurture the next generation of throwing talent and ensure Kenya’s continued presence on the global javelin stage.

Yego, famously dubbed the “YouTube Man” for teaching himself the sport online, had teamed up with Throwing Zone to supply mini javelins and turbojavs; safe, lightweight training tools ideal for young learners.

The company had even shared a video of Yego’s son testing a turbojav, writing: “Big plans for Kenya. We are partnering with Julius and are going to launch Kenya Golden Arm with the Julius Yego Foundation. The goal is to bring our mini javelins to schools and find the next Kenyan javelin star.”

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At its heart, Kenya Golden Arm was more than a training initiative.

It was a mission to instill early interest in the javelin and offer young athletes proper tools and guidance, something Yego lacked when starting his journey.

The program’s rollout hinged on a crowdfunding drive, appealing to sponsors and donors to fund the purchase of equipment and expand access to training in schools.

But despite the promise and early enthusiasm, the project never took off.

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Speaking to Mozzart Sport during the Tokyo World Championships trials, Yego shed light on the key reason behind the delay.

“When the new government came into office, USAID support was discontinued, which significantly affected us, as they had been our main sponsor. This change disrupted some of our plans and ongoing activities,” the soft-spoken javelin thrower said.

The disruption is linked to a shift in U.S. foreign aid policy following the return of Donald Trump to the White House in 2024.

Known for his “America First” approach, Trump’s administration once again moved to reduce overseas development assistance, including programs funded under USAID that supported education, youth, and sports initiatives in countries like Kenya.

As a result, many grassroots and development-focused projects lost critical backing.

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Despite that, Yego remained hopeful that the project would take off in the future.

“We are actively exploring new partnerships and remain optimistic about securing a new sponsor soon. Once everything is finalized and in place, we will be in a position to fully roll out our programs and resume operations with renewed momentum,” he concluded.

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Yego is the only javelin thrower who will represent Kenya at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships slated for Saturday, 13 to Sunday, 21 September.