Confusion in camp ahead of Olympics

Peter Nduhio, the Kenya Athletics team chief physiotherapist treats Brimin Kipruto, the Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion by the track side during training at the Moi international Sports Centre Kasarani on July 13 2012.They are preparing for the Olympic Games to be held in London from July 27 to August 12. Photo/MOHAMMED AMIN.

Chaotic management of the Kenya’s Olympic team could hurt the country’s medal chances in London.

World beating stars have yet again refused to travel to Britain whose weather and altitude are not good for training.

As a result, about 20 senior team officials have flown to London leaving 35 competitors in the hands of a single senior official.

Elite runners have rejected orders by the team management to travel to London this week, almost two weeks ahead of the Olympic Games track and field programme.

A meeting between the athletes and officials last week failed to agree on travel arrangements after some top runners argued that an early arrival in the wet and cold English capital would jeopardise their medal chances.

The stars prefer training at altitude in Nairobi and Iten and feel that travelling to London inside a week ahead of the competition would not be a clever move.

A single senior official is now in charge of 29 medal hopefuls training at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi and six others,who make up the men’s and women’s Olympic teams, based in Iten.

A meeting between the athletes and National Olympic Committee chairman, Kipchoge Keino, last week failed to agree on the final travel arrangements, with some of the athletes saying they would rather pay for their own tickets to London rather that be forced onto this weekend’s flight to London.

Team manager

The team manager of Kenya’s athletics team, Joseph Kinyua, confirmed that the Games management team wanted the athletes to depart this Sunday.

“The issue was discussed all the way to the level of sports minister Paul Otuoma’s office. We analysed all the factors and it was agreed that it won’t be in the interest of many things (if the departure date was deferred),” Mr Kinyua explained at the weekend.

“We resolved that the team would travel, no matter the situation but the management was to try and do damage control in London this week.”

Mr Kinyua said nothing else has been brought to his attention after the meeting.

Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said he would visit the camp today to assess the situation.

“We can only produce medals with a conducive atmosphere that is making the athletes happy. I will visit them to hear their grievances and perhaps present their case to the minister,” said Mr Kiplagat.

He added that it was not acceptable for the head of Kenya’s delegation, Mr Jonathan Kosgei, chief executive officer Stephen arap Soi and team manager James Chacha to have left for England when 90 per cent of the team was still training in Kenya.

Also in Bristol are several officials from the Sports ministry along with NOCK officials Fridah Shiroya (assistant chief finance officer) and Stephen arap Soi (executive officer).

In total, 16 officials are with the 13 athletes in Bristol.

The Olympic Games Athletes’ Village opens today with provision for only 17 Kenyan officials to be accommodated there.

But with another 10 expected to accompany the remaining athletes from Nairobi to London, a standoff looms.

The athletes and coaches prefer to leave for London on July 30th, August 3 and August 8, with the last batch comprising men’s marathon runners Wilson Kipsang, Emmanuel Mutai and Abel Kirui, who will be in action on the final day of the Games, departing on August 12.

Meanwhile, Mr Keino maintains it will not be acceptable to have a handful of athletes at the opening ceremony on July 27 where close to 125 head of states will attend, among them President Mwai Kibaki.

Mr Keino, himself an Olympic legend, having won gold and silver medals in the 1968 Games in Mexico, wondered who would pay a surcharged fee of $100 per ticket for change of travel dates.

“Something is terribly wrong somewhere and I am reading sabotage here,” said Mr Keino.

There has been a running battle between Athletics Kenya and athletes on one side and the national Olympic committee on the other over the Bristol training camp that was initially to involve all of Kenya’ Olympic competitors except the marathon teams.

After fierce protests, the 5,000 and 10,000 metres runners were exempted but the Olympic committee later insisted that athletes entered in races from 800 metres and below travel to Bristol.

But world 800m champion David Rudisha and the women’s defending champion over the same distance, Pamela Jelimo, both insisted on training in Nairobi.

Incidentally, while Rudisha, who is also the world record holder in his speciality, is Team Kenya’s overall captain, Jelimo is the assistant captain.

Currently 13 athletes are training at the controversial Bristol camp, including world 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi who made a personal decision to leave the Nairobi camp last week.

Kemboi faces charges of assault in Eldoret with his case deferred until after the Olympics.