Kenya must embrace vibrant marketing of sports events

It’s lovely to be back writing this column after taking a break for the World Cup, and from a neutral’s point of view this was one of the best tournaments.

Brazil proved to the world that they can organise a global tournament, and despite the negative stories emanating from the western press, the consensus was that both on and off the pitch the tournament got a huge thumbs up.

I cannot wait for the Rio 2016 Olympics!

Back home, Kenya must realise sport is crucial for marketing a country and generating tourist currency.

Brazil 2014 and the ongoing Tour De France are examples of how sporting events showcase the beauty and diversity of a nation.

Germany took advantage of their World Cup victory, with the government chartering a Lufthansa 747 plane, customising it in World Cup colours and then shutting down parts of Berlin for the victory parade.

The feel good factor is a crucial element for any government to maintain its popularity, and seeing the likes of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Barack Obama keeping tabs with their respective teams left their marks on the tournament.

We are fortunate to have a president who not only loves sports, but also used to participate in various sporting activities while at school.

Bitter taste

However, events of the last fortnight regarding treatment of the Kenya Commonwealth Games squad have left a  bitter taste in the mouths of many.

The fact that issues regarding delayed payment of allowances, kits not arriving on time, and officials thinking of themselves ahead of the participants happen time and time again – and it’s time for a complete shake-up of the management of the various departments of sports in this country.

I have said it time and time again: sports is very important to the well-being of any country, and it is imperative now more than ever that the government formed a separate sports ministry.

With the Kenya Rugby Union attempting to bring a leg of the IRB sevens circuit to the country and Athletics Kenya looking to host the Junior World Athletics Championships, it’s time to change the way our politicians view sports.

Why was it necessary for our cabinet secretary Hassan Wario to travel to Brazil for the World Cup whilst sections of the Commonwealth Games squad were threatening to go on strike due to unpaid allowances?

Unfortunately our situation is not too dissimilar to what happened to some West African teams during the World Cup off the pitch.

Being a sportsman, it has been very sad for me to witness and report what happened to the squad this week, ahead of what for many will be the biggest sporting event they will compete in.

TOUGH TIMES FOR INGWE

The Kenya Premier League is settling into the second leg. SuperSport commentator Herbert Mwachiro is also the local football analyst on my ‘Saturday Sport’ show on Nation FM, and has the latest:

AFC Leopards are going through a rough patch under new coach Hendrik Peter de Jong, losing to Bandari during the week. Their form has seemingly vanished from Nile Basin Cup where they finished runners-up.

Pressure from the demanding fans is not helping matters, and they must give the coach time to build the team in his style.

However the table doesn’t lie, with Inwe lying just two places above the relegation zone.

At the other end of the table, Bobby Williamson appears to be steering Gor Mahia to a second consecutive league title despite losing key players in the transfer window, securing maximum points from their last two games.

K’Ogalo have unearthed a new hero in Timothy Otieno, who moved from Talanta FC during the window. Otieno was Man Of The Match against Top Fry and scored against Western Stima so look out for this player.

Speaking of Gor, former striker Edwin Lavatsa is back in the country after his contract with the Algerian club he was playing for was terminated.

There were mixed fortunes for the other teams: Tusker lost against Sony in the surprise of last weekend; KRA maintained good form against Bandari with a 2-1 win; there was a shock win for City Stars against Chemelil, their British coach Tim Bryett getting his first-ever win in the Kenya Premier League; while there were victories last weekend for the bottom three teams City Stars, Top Fry and KCB.

Harambee Stars have good news ahead of their Africa Cup Of Nations pre-qualifier against Lesotho: captain Victor Wanyama’s red card from the international friendly midweek against Burundi will not count and he’s free to play in tomorrow’s match.

Meanwhile the national team has jumped a massive thirteen places in the latest Fifa rankings to 95th.

BODA BODAS’ DAY

Apart from being a convenient source of transport for thousands of Kenyans, they’re mostly in the news for the wrong reasons, from breaking traffic laws to being involved in various crimes.

However tomorrow boda-boda motorcycle riders will participate in a pre-qualifier at the Jamhuri Park motocross track, for a race that will be held on the same day as the Central Africa Challenge – a competition that will feature riders from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The boda boda race is being held in conjunction with the National Transport & Safety Authority and the Traffic Police to showcase basic safety and first aid.

This is a great idea on paper! Organiser Frank Tundo involved boda-boda riders during the recent KCB Nakuru to positive effect so I’m all for sports associations thinking ‘outside of the box’ to utilize what many see as a menace.

The writer is a sport journalist and runs a consulting firm.

sean@seancardovillis.co.ke