By GILBERT WANDERA
National athletics team coach Julius Kirwa has said the national Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) should take the blame for the team’s poor performance in London.
Kirwa claimed some NOC-K officials frustrated the team right from the time elite athletes insisted they would not be going to Bristol for the pre-Olympic trials.
“When NOC-K announced that officials would travel to Bristol, some elite athletes threatened to pull out of the team but I intervened. However, when we got to London it was obvious that they were not happy with our decision and set out to frustrate us.”
“My two team doctors and a coach were denied entry into the Olympic village meaning the athletes who were injured could not be attended to. This and many other frustrations took a toll on the team,” he said.
Kirwa pointed out that he has never seen such a kind of treatment before and asked Athletics Kenya and NOC-K officials to sort out their differences for better performance in future.
But NOC-K Secretary General FK Paul denied the allegations and said they never held any grudge against the team for refusing to train in Bristol.
“The doctors and coaches who were denied entry into the games village came on a day they were not expected. Also Vivian Cheruiyot’s husband who is also her personal coach did not have accreditation and so could not enter the games village,” he said.
As the team arrived back yesterday, local officials put up a spirited defence of Team Kenya at the games.
Despite a dismal showing, the team was well received with top government officials led by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.
Family members, traditional dancers and Brand Kenya team put up a befitting welcome for the team who were later treated to a sumptuous breakfast at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Team Kenya chef de mission Jonathan Koskei told off those who were criticising the team for a poor outing saying they were unrealistic.
“For the first time we had a participant in javelin reaching the final in his category. We also received two medals in the marathon making us the only country to have done so.”
“We also broke a world record in the men’s 800m event. As officials we believe this is the best we could have done considering that we never do well in Olympic games held in Europe and the weather this time was unfriendly,” Koskei said.
NOC-K chairman Kipchoge Keino also defended the team’s performance in London and insisted that under the circumstances they had performed well. “The weather was unfriendly in London and the competition fierce. I believe we did well though there is still room for improvement,” he said.
Sports Assistant Minister Kabando Wa Kabando said Kenyans should be happy with the medals the country won in London considering that other participating nations left London empty handed.
His boss Paul Otuoma said a lot would have been achieved in London and promised that the Government will look at the games report and make adequate recommendations for future improvement.
“The disappointment of Kenyans is understandable because we have done well in the past but we should not be quick to condemn each rather let us look at the real cause of the dismal performance,” he said.
In his speech, the Vice-President said the country will make a bid to host the 2028 Olympic games inspired by the discovery of oil in Turkana.
“Kenyans have followed this Olympic games keenly because our athletes have always been our greatest ambassadors. As we work towards Vision 2030, our goal will be to bid for the 2028 Olympic games and I believe that with the discovery of oil, we will have the resources to do it,” he said
