NKANATA OUT: Star sprinter out of Olympics due to blunder by NOCK and Athletics Kenya

Mike Mokamba will be the sole competitor for Kenya in the 200m after Carvin Nkanata was withdrawn from the team due to documentation problems.

Team Kenya Chef de Mission Stephen Soi confirmed yesterday that Nkanata will not be competing at the games despite having arrived in Rio de Janeiro from his base in the US a few days ago.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled Nkanata out as ineligible to compete for Kenya at these Olympics and it will be left to Mokamba to fight a lone battle against the likes of Usain Bolt in the 200m.

Nkanata arrived here on Thursday, but was denied entry into the village as his documents were invalid. He was forced to spend the night in a hotel outside the village as officials tried to see how he could be admitted into camp.

“Nkanata has been knocked out of the competition due to Rule 40 of the IOC, which requires one to have a valid passport of the country he is competing for,” Soi told Feverpitich.

Nkanata has an American passport but he competed in the Olympics trials held at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Kenya, finishing second behind Mokamba. He was named as part of the Rio Olympics squad.

The US-born sprinter won a bronze for Kenya at the 2014 Africa Championships in Marrakech, Morocco. He was also at last year’s World Championships in Beijing, China.

“Athletics Kenya should have known better when they were selecting Nkanata to compete in the Olympics. They should have ensured that he had a Kenyan passport as IOC cannot allow you to compete for a country when you don’t have their passport,” Soi said.

Nkanata has a personal best time of 20.14, which he set at last year’s World Championships. His time is also the Kenyan national record.

He reached the semi-finals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland and was eliminated in the heats of the 4x100m relay.

Athletics
Kenyan stars ready for World Cross showdown in Belgrade
By Ben Ahenda 5 hrs ago
Motorsport
Safari Rally 2024: Tanak urges Kenyan children to take up motorsports as a career
Rugby
SCHOOLS: From the classroom to the field, Kisumu Girls ready to lift national rugby trophy
Motorsport
Safari Rally 2024: Neuville clinches Kasarani stage as Hyundai makes intention known