Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has congratulated athletics legend Mike Boit after he was inducted into the Memorial Van Damme Hall of Fame in Brussels, Belgium. Miano described Boit’s recognition as an acknowledgement of his longstanding contribution to athletics and his role in raising Kenya’s profile on the international sporting stage.

“Congratulations legendary athletics pioneer Mike Boit on your induction into the Memorial Van Damme Hall of Fame at the Brussels Diamond League decades after a historic 800m win in 1977, your legacy continues to put Kenya on the global map,” Miano said in a message shared on Tuesday, September 8.

Boit was inducted alongside American athletics stars Carl Lewis and Dwight Stones during the 50th edition of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme. The organisers said the Hall of Fame recognises athletes whose performances and influence have helped shape the history of the Brussels meeting. The honour has particular significance for Boit because he won the 800 metres at the inaugural Memorial Van Damme meeting in 1977. The victory came a year after Belgian middle-distance runner Ivo Van Damme won Olympic silver in the 800 metres at the 1976 Montreal Games. The Brussels meeting was subsequently established in his memory following his death in a road accident in December 1976. Boit had already won an Olympic bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 1972 Munich Games before becoming the first winner of the Memorial Van Damme 800m. The event’s organisers also describe him as the first Kenyan athlete to become established on the international athletics meeting circuit. His 1977 victory helped establish a long association between the Kenyan middle-distance runner and one of Europe’s most prominent athletics meetings.

Miano used Boit’s induction to highlight the wider value of Kenya’s athletics heritage, particularly in promoting the country as a sports tourism destination. She said Kenya’s success in athletics remains an important national asset and argued that the country can use its sporting reputation to attract international competitions, athletes and visitors.

“Kenya’s sports dominance remains one of our greatest national assets,” Miano said, adding that the government was using sports tourism to promote Kenya as a destination for major sporting events and high-altitude training.

The remarks come as Kenya continues to position its athletics reputation as part of the country’s broader tourism offering.

Boit’s induction places him alongside a number of prominent athletes who have been recognised by the Memorial Van Damme over the years. Other Kenyans in the Hall of Fame include Paul Tergat and Daniel Komen, who were inducted in 2022. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was inducted in 2023, alongside other international athletics figures. Lewis and Stones were also inducted in the 2026 class. Lewis won the long jump at the Memorial in 1984 with a leap of 8.65 metres, a meeting record that still stands, while Stones won the high jump at the inaugural 1977 edition. Boit’s latest honour therefore marks a significant recognition of one of the athletes who featured at the beginning of the Memorial Van Damme’s history and helped establish Kenya’s presence on the international athletics circuit.