NOCK stand-off continues

From Left-Suspended Chairman NOCK Kipchoge Keino, NOCK Legal officer Sharad Rao and David Mereka of Mereka advocates during NOCK meeting at Hotel Panari on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

There is no respite in the stand-off regarding elections for the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) despite the international body ordering for an end to the impasse.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ordered Nock to end the stand-off and allow for elections to be concluded.

The committee also made it clear that they will continue to hold onto Nock funds until the matter is resolved.

But Nock chairman Kipchoge Keino said yesterday that no progress has been made to resolve the stand-off.

Keino confirmed he had held meetings with Kenya Tae-Kwondo Association (KTA) officials who have obtained a court order restraining Nock from holding elections but no agreement has been reached.

“We have held several meetings with KTA officials in a bid to resolve the stand-off but nothing has been agreed. The officials have asked to be given time to consult their lawyers and therefore, there is nothing much we can do but wait,” he said.

The matter has been scheduled for hearing on June 21 when all parties to the suit will be heard.

KTA went to court to stop the elections after they were locked out from taking part in the process allegedly due to lack of registration certificate from the sports registrar.

But the association has disputed this, insisting that the lack of a registration was not their fault as they have submitted all the required documents.

Last week, the IOC deputy secretary general Pere Miró also called on the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) to intervene in the local dispute by giving the true picture on who are the genuine officials of the KTA.

“This legal action initiated before the High Court for an internal matter that is under the jurisdiction of your Nock and the Electoral Board, in accordance with your Nock Constitution and the Olympic Charter, is very surprising and highly questionable coming from an individual/federation claiming to belong to the Olympic Movement,” part of Miró’s letter reads.

He argued that taking the matter to court goes against the dispute-resolution mechanisms established in the Nock constitution.

“Therefore, it would be interesting to know the real intentions behind this action, the regrettable consequence of which is to delay, once more, the completion of the electoral process.”

He concluded: “All payments of subsidies from the IOC to the NOCK will remain suspended until the IOC is “satisfied” that the whole process is “successfully completed.”