World
Sponsor threatens to pull plug on Kenya’s warring federations
Nairobi: A Kenyan corporate giant has threatened to withdraw sponsorship from any warring sports federation in the country as disputes continue to rock a number of local governing bodies — notably football, athletics and rugby.
Bob Collymore, CEO of the leading domestic integrated communications service provider Safaricom Wednesday said his company and others would pull the financial plug from these federations since they could not account for the money if infighting or feuding continues, as per reports.
“What we are seeing now across the federations is lack of ethics and integrity whether its wrangles, corruption or doping, and unless they resolve the issues we will not waste our money in them,” said Collymore.
“I do so much to protect my shareholder’s money but I can’t afford to give that to federations who squander and steal it,” Collymore said.
Safaricom is among the biggest investors in local sport spanning the Athletics Kenya Relay Series and numerous distance races under the Safaricom Road Race Circuit, the annual Safaricom International Sevens and youth football tournament, Sakata Boli.
Collymore weighed into the doping crisis in the country epitomised by the two-year ban on female marathon running star Rita Jeptoo.
“It’s such a big letdown to moral athletes like David Rudisha who are clean when modern sportsmen get involved in doping,” he added in reference to the Olympic champion and world men 800m record holder.
Athletics Kenya, Kenya Rugby Union and Football Kenya Federation are some of the sports federations embroiled in infighting.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.