The former Under-20 international athlete Sheila Chepng’etich is dead.
The athletes who won the 2014 World Under-20 1500m bronze medal, and was serving a ban on doping passed away at a Kericho County Referral Hospital where she has been recuperating after falling ill on Sunday evening, as confirmed by her coach.
While speaking to the Nation Sport, the deceased coach Japhet Kimei said the athlete had been ill for some time and was picked by her mother on Wednesday from camp.
She was afterward hurriedly taken to Kapkatet in Kericho County before proceeding to Nyabondo Mission Hospital, where she was referred back to Kericho County Referral Hospital where she was admitted on Friday until her death on Sunday.
“I can confirm that Sheila died on Sunday at 5.30pm after being unwell for some time," said Kemei.
Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei has termed the death of the young athlete as a huge blow to the country as she represented the country in several competitive tournaments.
“ I want to send my condolences to the family, friends and entire athletics family for losing such a young promising person,” said Tuwei as quoted by Nation.
Chepng’etich, 22, has been serving the four-year ban since 2014 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance during the Iris Lotto Cross Cup in Belgium on December 21, 2014.
She won silver in 3000m and bronze in 1500m at the 2013 Africa Under-20 Championships and also represented Kenya at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Poland, finishing eighth in the Under-20 race.