Three-time world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop has announced plans to venture into the sports footwear industry, revealing that he is working on developing his own running shoe brand in partnership with Kenyan businessman Zedekiah Bundotich Kiprop Buzeki.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe former Olympic champion shared the development, expressing optimism about the project, which he hopes will contribute to the growth of an African-owned sports footwear brand.In a statement, Kiprop revealed that the shoe will carry the trademark AK, representing the initials of his name.Gabby Thomas ties the knot with longtime partner"In partnership with Zedekiah Bundotich Kiprop Buzeki, we are building this shoe. Our trademark AK are initials of my name and looking forward to a good start. When the time is ripe, we will at least see Africa's first shoe brand by an athlete," Kiprop said, as quoted by Kenya Sports.Further details about the proposed brand, including its official launch date, manufacturing arrangements, pricing and the range of shoes to be produced, are yet to be announced.##NAJAVA_MECA_10067569##The project brings together Kiprop's experience in elite athletics and Buzeki's business background, with the potential to create a new player in the sports footwear market.Kiprop is one of Kenya's most accomplished middle-distance runners, having established himself among the world's leading 1500m athletes during his competitive career.He was awarded the Olympic 1500m gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Games after Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi was disqualified following a positive doping test.Athletics Kenya's statement on Peres Jepchirchir's doping suspensionThe Kenyan subsequently cemented his place in athletics history by winning three consecutive World Athletics Championships 1500m titles in Daegu in 2011, Moscow in 2013 and Beijing in 2015.He also won 1500m gold at the 2007 All-Africa Games and the 2010 African Championships, further underlining his dominance at continental level.Beyond his individual achievements, Kiprop was part of the Kenyan team that set the men's 4x1500m world record of 14:22.22 in May 2014.##NAJAVA_MECA_10066833##Kenya is globally recognised for producing elite distance runners, but the development of locally owned performance footwear brands remains an important opportunity within the country's wider athletics industry.Enda Sportswear, founded in 2016 by Navalayo Osembo and Weldon Kennedy, has already established itself as a Kenyan-born running shoe brand. The company develops running footwear inspired by Kenyan culture and athletics heritage, with production undertaken locally through manufacturing partnerships.Its products include the Iten and Lapatet running shoes, while Kenyan runners have contributed to testing and promoting its designs.Olympic 800m star announces pregnancy after difficult period on the trackKiprop's proposed AK brand would therefore enter an existing, though still developing, home-grown footwear market. His ambition to establish a shoe brand led by an athlete could add another dimension to efforts to build Kenyan and African ownership within the global running industry.The project's success will ultimately depend on factors including product quality, performance testing, manufacturing capacity, pricing, and the ability to compete in a market dominated by established international sportswear companies.
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