Joan Rotich was a successful Kenyan marathoner whose trust in loved ones led to devastating financial losses, leaving her struggling to rebuild.
Shock has gripped the athletics community after Kenyan marathoner Joan Nancy Rotich revealed a distressing account of how she lost nearly Ksh 11 million from her winnings to dishonest individuals, including her ex-boyfriend and an unscrupulous agent.
Rotich, a seasoned marathoner who represented Kenya in prestigious races such as the Taipei Marathon in China and the Jakarta Marathon in Indonesia, now finds herself struggling to make ends meet.
The 38-year-old, once a dominant force in long-distance running, says she is now living in squalor due to financial mismanagement and betrayal.
Jamaican great Usain Bolt may have been used to winning on track but he has had to endure painful losses off it, going by the multi-million ventures that lost him big money.
In a candid video obtained by Pulse Sports, Rotich narrated how she entrusted her then-boyfriend with her hard-earned winnings, only for him to take advantage of her trust and register all their assets under his name.
“The total money I won in those races was almost Ksh 11 million. I gave all the money to my ex,” Rotich revealed.
“I thought he loved me. I bought two tour cars, but he registered them under his name.”
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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 bought two cars, and he registered them under his name. I also built a big house, thinking it was ours, but he took everything,” she lamented.
However, her misfortunes did not 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.
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After securing an impressive finish in the women’s race, Rotich was awarded Ksh 1.6 million. But instead of receiving the prize money, her agent convinced her to transfer the funds into his bank account, promising to handle the transaction on her behalf.
“Another race in Qatar, I won Ksh 1.6 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,” Rotich narrated.
Her 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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Rotich’s case is just one among many female athletes who have fallen prey to exploitation by partners, agents, and managers, often with devastating consequences.
