By OMULO OKOTH

Ezekiel Kipkemoi Yano may be staring at a premature end of an eventful athletics career.

Without getting into the merits or demerits of the assault case the double world champion and former Olympics gold medallist is facing in an Eldoret court, he has himself to blame for all this unnecessary trouble he finds himself in.

For, athletes selected for the London Olympic Games were supposed to be in camp at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. If, as I gather, they might have been permitted to sort out domestic issues for afew days, this is not a license for an athlete going for the world’s most prestigious sporting competition to engage in activities that the 30-year-old Yano found himself in earlier in the week.

Many athletes did not attend the send-off dinners hosted by Proctor & Gamble and Safaricom on Tuesday and Wednesday. They even gave the State House flag handing over ceremony by the Head of State a wide berth.

Yano’s unfortunate incident in Eldoret, in which a 26-year-old restauranter has accused him of assault, is as scandalous as it is demoralising to him and the team.

Playing truant has been second nature of latter-day athletes, some who collude with team officials to and partying when they should be in camp. Others are just arrogant celebrity-drunk individuals, who break camp rules with impunity and still expect society to massage their ego because of who they are.

Yano might only have been unfortunate to be caught in what is otherwise the ‘norm’ in Kenyan sports camping rules.

But can’t our athletes learn from past mistakes that cost others like Samuel Wanjiru their lives and many their careers?

Do these athletes forget the past as fast as they can run?

If an Olympic athlete can break simple camp rules, what example are they to aspiring sportsmen and women? Olympics Games come after four years.

At 30, what guarantee, assuming he is dropped, has Yano of making the team for 2016 Games?

If the woman drops the case, and that is the only way Yano can be allowed to enter the UK, will he recover his concentration for the Games?

Whether the woman involved in the Yano case is framing him as alleged by some or was assaulted by the athlete as she claims will take time to verify. But why did he find himself in that situation?

If he was given permission to see his family before departing for London next week, couldn’t he go about his domestic business peacefully, watch the Euro Cup semi-final match between the Iberian rivals in the comfort of his residence and return to camp peacefully?

The younger generation of athletes are hugely talented. But they will hardly reach the levels of success of the predecessors because of their lifestyle.

They have everything that can take them to the top of their careers. But discipline is a major issue. Some think they are the first to reach such levels of success.

Kip Keino won two Olympic gold medals and still mixes freely with the lowly as he does with the high and mighty. A true role model, a hero, a celebrity.

Paul Tergat, Moses Kiptanui and Moses Tanui remained at the top for almost 20 years. Others like Yobes Ondieki, Paul Ereng, Patrick Sang, Daniel Komen, Peter Rono, Douglas Wakiihuri and Prof Mike Boit ran at the elite stage for so long and continue to inspire the youths to-date.

What was their secret? Discipline. They were steadfastly loyal to the sport. They would not sneak out of camp to go clubbing, even if some of them were not so popular with the officials. Of course, there were bad elements, indisciplined ones, in that generation. But the less said about them the better.

Athletes still need guidance and education to handle the huge amounts of money they possess, the celebrity status they find themselves in so early, the massive attention they command. Until these ‘housekeeping’ matters are addressed, we shall see more of our athletes falling victim to avoidable indiscretions and negative publicity.

 

— The writer is The Standard Sports Editor

iomulo@standardmedia.co.ke