Why Kenya risks missing 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo

David Wamira after winning 100m finals during the 2nd Africa Deaf Athletics Championship 2023 at The Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani. Nov 28, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya is at risk of missing the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan if it fails to beat the Friday (November 15) midnight registration deadline.

The Operation Management System (OMS) which is where countries register for the Games closes at midnight today.

The Kenya Sports Federation of the Deaf (KSFD) has not been able to access the OMS since it remains suspended by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) over an outstanding Sh18 million debt.

The debt arose after KSFD failed to honour its pledge to send teams to the 2023 World Deaf Handball Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark and 2024 World Deaf Youth Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The ICSD revealed that KSFD incurred a debt of EUR 72360 (Sh10.4 million) to the Danish Deaf Sports Association for making a contractual commitment to pay accommodation and participation costs in the World Deaf Handball Championship.

For the 2024 World Deaf Youth Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the ICSD stated that KSFD should pay $ 25490 (Sh 3.2 million) as entry fees, excess fees, and penalty fees for non-participation in the event held in January.

"We are calling on President William Ruto to intervene so that this matter is sorted before we are locked out of the Deaflympics. Unfortunately we have not been successful in our efforts to have this matter sorted," said Miriam Opondo, the president Kenya Basketball Deaf Association and Vice president of the Confederation of Africa Deaf Sports.

KSFD president Benard Banja said: "Missing the Deaflympics is going to affect several athletes. We are appealing to the President (Ruto) to intervene."

"It seems like the Ministry of Sports does not care about the Deaf athletes in this country," lamented Abdi Abdille, the chairman Nairobi Association of the Deaf.

Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund Chief Executive Officer Nuh Ibrahim had on Wednesday written to KSFD, explaining that the funds would not be released since the Deaf Handball Federation of Kenya has yet to return the Sh 10.8 million it received for their participation in the World Deaf Handball Championship in Denmark.

"The Public Finance Management (Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund) Regulations 2018 states that a recipient who fails to submit returns and activity report shall not be eligible for any subsequent disbursement until full compliance," said Ibrahim in the letter seen by Standard Sport.

Opondo and Banja argue that it is unfair for Ministry of Sports to penalise all Kenyan Deaf athletes because of a mistake by the Deaf Handball Federation of Kenya.

Both Ministry of Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Principal Secretary Peter Tum were unavailable comment.