Mistreatment of coaches highlights depth of team Kenya’s mishandling

Sprints coach John Anzrah upon arriving at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Friday, August 13, 2016. [PHOTO: WWW.SPORTPICHA.CO.KE/STAFFORD ONDEGO]

The disowning of sprints coach John Anzrah by National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Kipchoge Keino simply highlights the depth of the mess within the Olympics team in Rio de Janeiro.

Mr Anzrah, who was sent home for allegedly “posing” as 800m athlete Ferguson Rotich in Rio, said the legendary Keino knew too well his role as sprints coach.

“When I first arrived in Rio, I met Dr Kipchoge Keino whom I congratulated for bagging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Laurel Award. “He was grateful for the gesture and even told athletes that I was an athlete in 1984 while Kipchoge was a coach,” said Anzrah, a semi-finalist in 400m at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Keino said Nock had not facilitated Anzrah’s travel to Brazil. “We don’t even know how he came here. We cannot tolerate such behaviour,” he told the BBC.

Anzrah was among track and field coaches at the one-month residential training in IOC High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) at Kipchoge Keino Kazi Mingi Farm in Eldoret. And he could meet Keino more often in the camp and sometimes at Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

The development comes as surprise to those who respect Dr Keino, who was feted by IOC president Thomas Bach with Laurel Award for his outstanding achievement in social engagements. He remains in history as the first ever athlete to receive an Olympic Laurel Award. Anzrah allegedly “presented himself” as 800m medal hope Ferguson Rotich and “even signed the documents” for the doping test. “I did not give any urine sample. And if Nock claim I did, let them bring the sample. I did everything to save the athlete from missing random test, which could see him get banned from competing,” said Anzrah. The coach’s misfortunes brought to fore problems that face Team Kenya in Brazil. Anzrah and three others — former world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, coach Joseph Mosonik, Mark Baraton and one Nahasion Koech — lived in a rented house in Rio following Nock’s accommodation mess.