KCB Guru Nanak Rally: For Ian Duncan, age is just but a number

Ian Duncan navigated by Amaar Slatch in a XADO Nissan Patrol won the 35th KCB Guru Nanak Rally. [PHOTO: FILE]

Ian Duncan proved that age and what you drive is no barrier to success, as he powered his Nissan Patrol pick up to a narrow victory at last Sunday’s KCB Guru Nanak Rally.

With all eyes on Baldev Chager and Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo in the race for the driver’s title, Duncan stormed to victory over Rajbir Rai by just two seconds to prove that you don’t need a high performance S2000 or Group N car to win a national rally.

Granted Duncan’s truck is no ordinary vehicle. It’s Dakar-style sequential gearbox costing more than most ordinary road-legal production vehicles. However, his extraordinary driving skills is what separates Duncan from his peers, and I have no doubt that we are witnessing the greatest driver Kenya has ever seen. So make your way to the Kenya National Rally Championship events next season because you may never see another driver like Ian Duncan ever again.

I spoke to FIA official Surinder Thatthi at the event, and he told me the future looks rosier for the Safari Rally if the Kenya Motorsports Federation can reach an agreement with world motorsport’s governing body. Apparently, the FIA does want the Safari back in the World Rally Championship, and if one or two of their officials can be convinced to attend next year’s event, they can make their recommendations to the authorities and some funding could be released to help organisers here raise the standards of the rally to levels acceptable to both parties. I’ll keep you updated with developments on this story.

DUBAI BECKONS

This time next week, I’ll be reporting from Dubai, courtesy of Etihad Airways, as the IRB Dubai 7s tournament reaches a climax at the magnificent venue called ‘The Se7ens’. Like most places in Dubai, this was initially desert sand that was converted to a grass pitch.

It is a testament to the economic power of the Gulf States that the world’s best sporting events are being drawn to the area; and the Dubai 7s comes a week and a half after the European Tour Golf Finals at the nearby Earth Course and the Formula One race next door in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina.

I will keep you informed of the progress of the Kenya national sevens team as they aim to not only improve on last year’s relatively disappointing season, but also qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in which rugby sevens makes its long awaited debut.

FOOTBALL TORN APART?

This week in local football featured a high profile tit-for-tat spat between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Kenya Premier League (KPL). The main topic of conversation has been how many teams will compete in the KPL next season and who should be promoted. Four teams could be promoted to an expanded 18-team league if the FKF have their way: Posta Rangers (winner of Zone A), Nakumatt (runner up of Zone A), Shabana (winner of Zone B) and Kakamega Homeboyz (runner up of Zone B).

KPL CEO Jack Oguda is strongly of the opinion that the league should remain at 16 teams. Both sides have put newspaper advertisements this week, and this has fueled debate on which league size is better. The KPL feels that the current format works because the quality of play on the pitch would remain higher and there will be less player fatigue. However the FKF is saying that after looking at the 2013 accounts there is enough money to accommodate an18-team league.

There appears to be wastage of money. At the 2013 Gala Awards Sh16m was spent on the event, with the winning team taking home Sh4m, which shows that something is seriously wrong. Oguda claims they spent Sh6.5m for this year’s ceremony. But FKF boss Sam Nyamweya and company feel that there is enough money for the expanded league if funds are used right, and that a higher percentage should go to the players. The clamour for an 18-team league is gathering momentum, with FKF branches and some Premier League clubs silently supporting expansion.

The host broadcaster SuperSport is against expansion, saying they budgeted for a certain number of games. The FKF has responded by saying that SuperSport can continue broadcasting the same number of matches in the expanded league.

KPL CLUBS UP-DATE

In other news, AFC Leopards are in the hunt for another coach to replace Pieter De Jong. The club has approached former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche who’s declined. Other names in the frame include former coach Luc Emayel, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mullee and former Gor Mahia coach Zdravko Logarusic. Drastic changes are expected at Ingwe. The club has vowed not to make the mistakes of the last year.

Defending champions Gor Mahia, have agreed to keep coach Frank Nuttal until end of next year. Nuttal will want to keep the job – it is his first as head coach and next season will be great experience, especially the continental action.

The club will be investing in the squad, especially to beef up the bench, although this will depend on availability of funds.

At Tusker, coach Francis Kimanzi will be retained. The team didn’t win the KPL but did bring in the Top 8 trophy and finished third in the league (they were 5th previous season). The squad will definitely be gunning for the league title next season.

On transfers, Western Stima player Job Omuse has signed a two-year contract with St George’s of Ethiopia and has already joined the club.

It is off-season for the league with many players featuring in the annual estate tournaments, and this comes during the absence of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup due to a lack of venue. Fans have no choice but to look forward to the 2015 tournament, although once again no host has been chosen as of now.