A Kenyan born marathoner Wilson Loyanae Erupe has changed his name to suit his Korean citizenship status.
The 30-year-old Erupe, a seasoned marathoner, will now be called Oh Joo-Han, a Korean family name associated with old Korean clans.
The Korea Times reported that since the athlete had been training with the Cheongyang County Office's athletics council, he settled on a county in the South Chungcheong Province as the place of origin for his name.
"I am proud and happy for having a Korean name. It feels great to be the progenitor of the soon-to-be Oh clan in Cheongyang," announced Wilson.
He told journalists that he was grateful to the people of Cheongyang for accepting him into their country.
Wilson abandoned his Kenyan citizenship in July 2018, in search for better revenue in Asia.
His Korean citizenship was delayed after he was banned from taking part in international events by the International Association of Athletics Federations, for failing a doping test.
Wilson was optimistic that he would be back on the tracks and is currently preparing for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.
Kenya is known for its top crop of athletes and has been a major source for countries that are looking to import talent.
At the 2018 Standard Charted Marathon in Singapore, Kenyans scooped the first 17 positions in the race.
