Angry athletes threaten Commonwealth Games boycott
National cycling team members train at the Kasarani Stadium on July 1 ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games slated for Glasgow, Scotland starting July 23. The athletics team on July 13 threatened to boycott the Games over allowances. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO
What you need to know:
- The government had promised to pay half of the team’s overseas allowances in cash by Friday last week but deferred the payments to Saturday.
- Team Kenya executive officer James Chacha said the cash will be delivered either on Monday or Tuesday.
All is not well in the Commonwealth Games team training camp as non-payment of allowances threaten Kenya’s participation.
Athletes have vowed not to travel to Glasgow, Scotland unless their overseas allowances are paid in full.
Threats by the athletes come after a similar disquiet by Judo, Kenya Sevens rugby and shooting teams as they flew out on Sunday without their allowances.
The government had promised to pay half of the team’s overseas allowances in cash by Friday last week but deferred the payments to Saturday.
The promise by Sports Commissioner Gordon Oluoch apparently never materialised after the government failed to secure release of funds in foreign currency from the bank on time.
Team Kenya executive officer James Chacha said the cash will be delivered either on Monday or Tuesday but the athletics team is reading mischief in all this.
NOT 'SEEN A PENNY'
Senior athletes in the team, who sought anonymity, said the government had not lived up to its promise to reward the teams from the World Cross Country Championships in Poland and World Championships in Moscow last year.
“The government even promised to refund the money we used for transport when we returned the national flag at State House but we have never seen a penny,” claimed one of the athletes.
“We shall not board that plane without our allowances. Some of us have families and we want to leave something behind” explained the angry athlete.
The second batch is expected to leave the country on Tuesday followed by the last on Thursday for the Games starting July 23 to August 3.
The 195 athletes will each receive US$ 6,000 (Sh522,000) for the 24 days they will be in Glasgow.
Team Kenya captain Ezekiel Kemboi had on Tuesday reminded Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario about the pending cash reward from the government when the minister handed over the national flag to Team Kenya.
Kenya won five gold, four silver and three bronze medals from Moscow Worlds. A gold medallist from the World Championships and Commonwealth Games draws a reward of Sh500,000 from the government while a silver medallist gets Sh300,000 and bronze Sh200,000.
