Key factors for Kenya to consider in dealing with the Rio disaster

Ken Opalo

Most reasonable Kenyans would agree that our Olympics tour this year was a disaster. Athletes’ coaches and other important personnel were denied entry to the Olympic Village and replaced by vacationing hangers on. And scarce resources were spent on entertaining these joyriders rather than giving our hardworking athletes their due. The resultant disaster was a self-inflicted wound that might have repercussions beyond Rio. Once we make competing under the Kenyan flag a completely thankless affair, how many of our star athletes will jump ship and obtain citizenship in other countries? What signal will that send to aspiring future Olympians? Why are we so hell-bent on destroying one of the few things that rally us around our flag?

Now, there are multiple ways of viewing the Rio disaster – which in turn would determine how we deal with it. One way would be to see it as a standard case of corruption and patronage, in which NOCK officials opted to put their mistresses, friends and families before the country. Another would be to see it as a sign of the gross disconnect between how we run sports in Kenya and what the athletes actually need to be globally competitive. And lastly, we could see Rio as a sign of organisational failure within the sports management fraternity in the country.