A Kenyan senator has criticized sports bodies for inaction after a dog chased Robert Kimutai Ng’eno during a marathon in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last week.
Reports said the Kenyan athlete was leading with 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to go when the dog appeared and followed him. Despite efforts by some spectators to chase the dog away, the encounter was said to have caused Ng’eno to lose concentration and eventually finish in third place.
Kenyans Cornelius Kiplagat and Paul Kipngetich Tanui finished first and second respectively.
The photo of the dog chasing Ng’eno has been widely shared on social media and some people are wondering why nothing was done to protect the athlete. Kenyan Senator Samson Cherargei said on X (formerly Twitter): “This athlete was stripped of his dignity and subjected to unspeakable ridicule.”
He claimed that Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba and Kenya Athletics had failed the runner, adding that they “did not find it wise to protest and ask Argentine authorities to investigate.”