Kenyan athlete Joan Nancy Rotich has shared a harrowing tale of how she lost about Ksh11 million earned from her track winnings to unscrupulous individuals, including her former partner.
Rotich, an athlete with proven prowess in marathons and half marathons during her prime, now finds herself struggling to make ends meet. She represented Kenya in different competitions including the Jakarta Marathon in Indonesia and the Taipei Marathon in China in the early 2010s.
The 38-year-old has come out to reveal that she is now living in squalor due to financial mismanagement and betrayal.
Rotich in a video disclosed her investment plans with her former partner, who she said eventually took all the assets they had invested in for himself.
“The total money I won in those races was almost Ksh11 million. The money I won I gave to my ex. I thought this guy loved me. I bought two tour cars, and the guy registered them under his name,” the athlete narrated.
She further disclosed that she had built a house with their future in mind, only for her ex-partner to claim full ownership, leaving her with nothing.
“I also built a big house, thinking it was ours, but he took everything,” she lamented.
Also Read: Did a Kenyan Athlete Win Asian Marathon Wearing Sandals?
Rotich’s misfortunes did not, however, end there as the marathoner also fell victim to an unscrupulous sports agent, who she claims stole all her winnings from the 2018 Doha Marathon in Qatar.
Joan Rotich reveals how agent conned her millions
“Another race in Qatar, I won Ksh1.6 million. The agent cheated us into depositing the money in his account. The guy is in Germany now. I’m trying to reach him, but he keeps telling me there is nowhere I’ll take him,” the athlete narrated.
Also Read: Kenyan Speaks After Bagging Lucrative Marathon with Ksh35 Million Pool Prize
Meanwhile, all hope is not gone for Rotich. Despite being in the twilight years of her career, she hopes to make a dramatic comeback and compete in marathon races to kickstart her life.
Rotich’s plight has caught the attention of the Athletes Welfare Initiative Kenya, which has vowed to support her in seeking justice.
The organization has expressed concern over the rising cases of financial exploitation of female athletes, many of whom suffer in silence.
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