It’s a pity that those charged with the responsibility of nurturing these young talents for the nation prey on them. [Courtesy]
On Thursday, Athletics Kenya (AK) released a one-month report from a consultative forum with athletes across the country, where they visited 15 regions.
The shocking report details how unscrupulous coaches and managers have had many careers nipped in the bud through unwanted pregnancies and early marriages. Most of the cases are reported in training zones in Ngong, Kisii and Iten.
That some young female athletes are forced into sexual relations with their coaches and managers is a worrying trend in our athletics industry.
It’s a pity that those charged with the responsibility of nurturing these young talents for the nation prey on them. It is hard to accept that this is a widespread matter. When these young girls shared their chilling experiences, the report indicated, some of their complains were heart-rendering and require prompt investigations from authorities.
READ MORE
High Court suspends Ruto's PS hiring gender parity case
Sh19 million up for grabs in each race as world stars battle in Budapest
Young refugee athletes ready for the first Youth Olympics on African soil
We understand that apart from sexual exploitation, these unscrupulous coaches and managers disappear with the athletes’ winnings. The situation has not been helped by the fact that most of these junior athletes hail from poor backgrounds and are desperately in need of a helping hand, which provides these wolves in sheep clothing with an opportunity.
We know many athletes and their families are duped by these coaches and managers in the guise of organising races abroad and vanish with their hard-earned cash. There is a case study of an athlete who made the nation happy by winning medals for Kenya at the global stage and was later married off by her coach. This is just a tip of the iceberg. There is a ledger of such cases in our athletics industry. These vices have gone unabated for too long. So, it’s high time stakeholders that include Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports and Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes worked closely to weed out this sordid business.
AK, Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association, Kenya Secondary Schools Association and the Department of Children right from the county level ought to be roped in. They move with speed and conduct thorough investigations on it. And those found culpable must be brought to book.
We are losing a huge pool of talent in our society. A sizeable number of female athletes’ talents are wasting away every year in our midst and we keep silent for fear of reprisals. Such unwanted pregnancies and early marriages have a net effect on our economy. While athletics injects Sh6 billion into our economy, losing young and promising athletes to these vices stands out as a huge loss to the nation. Let’s crack the whip on these unscrupulous coaches and managers.
