Kenyan Olympics threat is real

Geoffrey Ronoh Geoffrey Ronoh after the 2014 Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon with Wilson Kipsang.

Rudisha, Kemboi, Yego, Kipsang' and Vivian Cheruiyot may not be going to Rio de Janeiro; you might as well be prepared for Kenya to be represented only by non-medal hopefuls of rugby sevens, boxing, swimming etc

It is a real possibility that Kenyan track and field athletes will not participate in the Olympic Games this year.

The threat is real. After the South Africa apartheid related African boycott of 1976 (Montreal) and the US-led Western pull-out from the 1980 Games in Moscow, it will be a third-time disaster if Kenyan runners and field specialists such as world champion javelin thrower Gideon Yego will miss out on the Olympics.

The IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation) is under intense public pressure to punish those involved in use of banned drugs to enhance performance in athletics.

Russia is suspended. The other main suspect, Kenya, were served with warning; set up anti-doping surveillance in your country and conduct testing. Now IAAF is being told: “Kenya is dithering; take decisive action on them”. And the federation boss, Sebastian Coe, has come out loudly saying Kenyans will not be in Rio if the situation persists.

Furthermore, instead of doing as told by IAAF, worse has come out of Kenya. Allegations of bribe-taking for cover-ups of doping cases concerning Kenya athletes and misuse of funds of the body that controls the sport in the country -- Athletics Kenya (AK).

The top administration in the organisation has been decimated with four men being removed from their jobs.

However, that apparently will not be enough to convince the world that the right action is being taken to stem the rot in Kenyan athletics. The rest of the world apparently responds to strict deadlines; not the Kenyan mode of “we shall do something”, that lasts forever.

That is why, Wilson Kipsang’, the influential marathon star, led a protest of many top athletes, coaches and managers on Thursday in Eldoret demanding that Kenya immediately addresses the looming threat of being banned from the Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

Kipsang’ echoed what many in the country have complained in the last three years of the current Government administration in Kenya; that the Ministry in charge of sport lacks clear, strong and capable leadership.

To fix the current problem the setting up of a National Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) was a mandatory requirement from the IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It (ADAK) was formed alright, but the pace for having it to start its work was slow and unimpressive to the sanctioning bodies. So Lord Coe says they will not be waiting any longer.

They want to see action or Kenya can forget taking David Rudisha, Julius Yego, Ezekiel Kemboi, Vivian Cheruiyot or even Kipsang’ for Gold medal quests in Rio.

“This is unacceptable,” Kipsang’ said referring to the attitude of sports administration. “Everyday we hear that something is being done. But it isn’t. There’s nothing. We cannot allow this situation to remain the same.”

The Ministry of Sport and the Government are rightly charged with not having the grips at all on management of sport in the country.

Repeatedly, attention has been drawn to the Government of its failure to even paying obey the law passed by parliament for a desired modern way of managing sport in the counter -- via the Sports Act 2013.

Funding or lack of it is perceived to be the stumbling block in fully activating ADAK. Yet, in the Sports Act, in order for Kenya to raise the funds to finance sport -- like they do in Britain (through UK Sport), Australia, South Africa and many other places -- the launch of national sports lottery was recommended.

The Ministry of Sport has not moved to realise this. This was a key duty of the Cabinet Secretary in the ministry.

Instead, he routinely goes about overseeing the launch and promotion of private gambling institutions with themes around sport. Even if or when the National Sports Lottery is up and running it may be difficult to determine the Cabinet Secretary’s real allegiance; to a fund raising venture for Kenya sport or promotion of gambling around sport.