By GILBERT WANDERA
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) says it will not remove the World 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi from the Kenyan team that will take part in this year’s games in London.
Kemboi has been charged with assault in an Eldoret court last week after a woman claimed he had stabbed her.
Yesterday, NOCK chairman Kipchoge Keino said they do not believe the allegations against Kemboi after carrying out independent investigations.
DROP CHARGES
“We do not think he did what he is being accused of. It looks like a set-up and so we will allow him to travel to London,” said Keino.
Kemboi will have another day in court in September although his lawyer has urged the police to drop the charges.
In a related development, Kenyan officials have finally agreed on the controversy surrounding the pre-Olympic training in Bristol.
Keino said: “We have resolved the issue and the those to travel have been contacted from 800m downwards.”
Athletics team manager Joseph Kinyua says they have had an agreement with the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) regarding who to train in Bristol.
Kinyua said their agreement with NOCK is that all long distance runners and marathoners will train in Nairobi with only athletes in the 800m and other short races travelling to Bristol.
Those who will train in Nairobi prior to the Olympics are marathoners, 10,000m runners and 5,000m athletes.
“There have been concerns about whether we should go to Bristol or not. I am happy that finally we have an agreement,” said Kinyua.
BRISTOL CITY
While NOCK has been insisting on the team to train in Bristol after signing agreements with the city, Athletics Kenya has not been keen on the overseas based camp.
AK officials have time and again argued that the weather in Bristol may not be conducive for local athletes and factors such as altitude may affect their performance.
Last week AK chairman Isiah Kiplagat insisted that the association prefer for the team to train in Nairobi though he insisted the final decision remains with NOCK who are in-charge of the Olympic team.
