DAVID ISABIRYE: Cheptegei’s historic visit to Santiago Bernabéu ought to inspire many Ugandan footballers, sportsmen

Real Madrid Club de Futbol is arguably one of the biggest football brands in world’s football today.

For this reason, millions of people across the divide have always yearned to be associated with this historic great club founded in 1902.

Uganda’s long distance athlete Joshua Cheptegei was recently accorded a VIP reception at the iconic 81,044-seater Santiago Bernabeu, the treasured home of this legendary club.

The current world record holder in the 5000 and 10,000 metres races visited the club that has won 35 La Liga titles, 14 UEFA Champions League trophies, 19 Copa De Rey honours, 12 SuperCopa de Espana, 5 UEFA Super Cups, 4 FIFA Club World Cup trophies among others.

Cheptegei was given a guided tour around the Real Madrid’s traditional home, Santiago Bernabeu and witnessed the rich trophy cabinet by former Read Madrid and Spanish striker Emilio Butragueno Santos (now the director of Institutional Relations of Real Madrid).

“Rich with greatness, bravo Real Madrid and many thanks to Butragueno for showing me around. Your approach, and kind gesture with the fans, for sure is not forgettable. Forever Real Madrid” the world champion tweeted on his official handle.

This historic visit for starters does not come for any ordinary person, Ugandan per say.

Therefore, Ugandan sports personalities ought to be proud for the personality and achievements of Cheptegei as a person.

Footballers in particular ought to emulate the unquestionable work ethic of Cheptegei the person as he injects in numerous hours of training and workouts to perform at the world competitions with excellence.

Real Madrid, as a leading sports club in the world is a big inspiration to the footballers globally.

As Butragueno showed Cheptegei the enviable Real Madrid rich trophy cabinet, it was testament how diligence vividly yields glory.

Success has no short-cut than endless planning, tireless investment through working hard day and night as well as commitment and focus.

Both Read Madrid as a club and Cheptegei as a person share elements of diligence, commitment, passion, class, elegancy and the sheer desire to excel against all the odds.

He was also presented with that pure white Real Madrid jersey with the name Cheptegei and number one embroiled at the back.

These are the key attributes that most Ugandan sportsmen and elsewhere ought to emulate at all costs.

Now that Chepetgei recently held a football Christmas tournament at his Kapchorwa home area, there is hope that he could use this cemented relationship as a kicker to be sending talented footballers for trials in Madrid.

For starters, Chepetegi is also a brand ambassador for Tororo based Admin Football Club, a third division club based in Eastern region of Uganda.

This is yet another golden moment for the Uganda as a country to be marketed positively to Europe and the rest of the world as a great tourism destination.

On 31^st December 2022, Cheptegei won the international San Silvestre Vallecana 10 KM race in Madrid with a time of 27:09.

He defeated a host of elite athletes including Mohamed Katir from Murcia by ten seconds.

Meanwhile, another Ugandan Prisca Chesang won the women version with a time of 30:19 ahead of Francine Niyonsaba (30:58) and Beatrice Chepkoech (31:06).