Nairobi — Olympic 800 metres champion Wilfred Bungei on Saturday rejected a bid by leaders in the larger Nandi District to re-name Kapsabet's Kipchoge Keino Stadium after him.

The offer by the Kapsabet Municipality would have seen Eldoret's Kipchoge Stadium remain the only notable feature named after former Olympic champion Kipshoge Keino.

Instead, the leaders had to do with the naming of a street after the athlete shortly after another was named after Olympics 800 metres champion Pamela Jelimo.

Stir controversy

Bungei, who was received in Kapsabet by a large crowd, led by area District Commissioner, Fredrick Ndambuki, said he would not like to stir controversy over the naming of the stadium and told those who made the request, led by former mayor, John Maru, that there were many stadiums which needed to be developed in the larger Nandi and he would not accept the offer without consultations.

Bungei, who returned to Nandi a week after Jelimo made a similar entry into the athletics-rich town, said youths in the district had a lot of talent which is yet to be nurtured.

There was a huge round of applause when Bungei told athletics fans that out of 14 medals which Kenya won at the Beijing Olympics, seven were from Nandi.

Five bulls slaughtered

A crowd estimated at about 10,000, thronged Bungei's home in Kabrisang Location in Nandi central for the homecoming party.

Athletics Kenya secretary, David Okeyo, Emgwen Member of Parliament, Elijah Lagat, Mombasa businessman David Lang'at and former MP Stephen Tarus attended.

Others present were world 800m champions Wilfred Kirwa and Janeth Jepkosgei, former Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui and other former athletes Sammy Kosgey, Japheth Kimutai and Amos Korir who also opposed the changing of the kapsabet stadium's name.

The convoy of vehicles escorting Bungei moved along the Eldoret-Kapsabet road from the Eldoret International Airport where he had been met by hundreds of his fans.

The 28-year-old Bungei's party saw five bulls, 10 goats and 50 chickens slaughtered with outside catering services hired from an Eldoret hotel.