This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
Published on July 7, 2019, a report in Britain's Daily Mail Online questioned the age of Kenyan athlete Zakayo Pingua, who won the under-20 5,000m race at the Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco.
Zakayo Pingua, the African champion for 5,000m at under-20's level, was born in Narok on November 25, 2001, according to documents released by his running club, Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal.
Reacting to the criticism, Zakayo Pingua told doubters to verify his age with his parents and Kenyan authorities, saying, 'There are official documents that show my date and place of birth. So, those out there questioning my age can go and verify with my parents and Kenyan authorities.'
He also drew a parallel with Ethiopian athlete Selemon Berega, who faced similar age-related criticism in the past.
