Poor handling of our athletics heroes giving us a bad name on world stage

There will be consequences for officials found culpable of mismanaging the national Olympics team, State House has warned, following reports that Kenyan athletes, who are some of the best in the world, have been experiencing myriad difficulties leading to low morale in camp.

Yesterday, State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu said the Government was waiting for an official report on the goings on.

"We would like the officials to remember why they are in Rio and to ensure that our athletes perform optimally. Everything has consequences and we don't believe that any one should undermine our athletes and get away with it," Mr Esipisu said.

"We are waiting for reports from Government officials on what is going on and the President will be interested to know."

The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) has been under fire for letting matters get out of hand.

The bungled travel arrangements and ill treatment of Team Kenya coaches and world javelin champion Julius Yego highlighted the age-old contempt with which Nock has handled Kenyan heroes.

This time, trouble began at the High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Eldoret, where track and field athletes put up. When Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario visited the camp, team captain Wesley Korir put the CS on his defence over the myriad problems athletes face at every major world championship.

LITTLE SUPPORT

Mr Korir, who is also the MP for Cherangany, prepared a memorandum from the athletes, who were not happy with certain arrangements made for the Olympics team. But he tore it up in protest after he realised little support was forthcoming from the Ministry of Sports.

Apart from cash rewards pending from 2011, Korir also criticised the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) saying it acted unprofessionally and harassed athletes. He said Adak officials treated him with respect when they realised he was a Member of Parliament.

"Imagine, the doctor takes you to a toilet to collect urine and stands several metres away from you as you pee, which is not in line with IAAF regulations. Supposing you give them someone else's urine or vice versa?" posed Korir.

Team Manager Michael Rotich was recently sent home after he was allegedly recorded promising to help athletes evade doping tests. The alleged conversation was recorded by a German TV station, ARD, and the story subsequently carried by London's Sunday Times. The matter is pending in court.

The doping expose eroded Kenya's pride in Kipchoge Keino, who was feted by International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach with a Laurel Award for his outstanding achievement in social engagements. He is the first ever athlete to receive an Olympics Laurel Award.

There are also reports that some coaches were unable to access the Olympic Village for lack of accreditation.

And 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi said awards for physiotherapists and team doctors should be raised from Sh10,000 to Sh300,000.

In Brazil, Korir raised issues about kitting and poor handling of the team. He said the kit he received did not fit as the shorts were too big, adding that this was an issue all the athletes were facing.

COMPEL NIKE

Korir promised to compel Nike to give them invoices and other documents so that they could compare them with what they had received.

He said they planned to have a meeting between all the athletes and Nike managers in Rio de Janeiro to iron out the problems.

"In fact, I have approached Ezekiel Kemboi and representatives from other sports disciplines about the meeting. I think it's about time they came out clear and if it's true that they are not supplying Kenya with the right quantities and quality, then we need another sponsor to kit the national team," he said.

On his position as a member of the National Assembly, Korir said he had raised the issues with President Uhuru Kenyatta. After the Olympics, Korir said, he would ask National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to give the House a chance to discuss matters affecting athletes, especially at the Olympics.

The misfortunes that faced sprints coach John Anzrah, whom Nock alleged had presented himself as 800m medal prospect Ferguson Rotich, magnified the problems facing Team Kenya in Brazil.

On Wednesday, Mr Anzrah, who is football legend Joe Kadenge's brother, was sent home from Rio after he reportedly posed as an athlete. Anzrah was among four other officials Nock did not provide for despite being on the official itinerary.

Others are marathon great Catherine Ndereba (assistant team manager), Joseph Mosonik (javelin coach), Nahashon Koech and Mark Baraton.

Kithinji Maragara, the Team Kenya athletics coach, said Team Kenya excluded some officials who had been on a 'waiting list' from the final list of athletes and coaches travelling to Rio. The International Olympic Committee, however, absolved him of wrongdoing, saying "it was a horrible mix-up".

Earlier, there had been a near stand-off in the rugby 7's camps after Nock announced that they would take only one coach for both the men's and women's teams.

There were several complaints during the London Olympic Games in 2012 and now, the same problems are emerging in Brazil.