Hurray, government taking over running of Kenya teams

Neddy Atieno Okoth of Harambee Starlets (left) in action against Bonang Othagile of Botswana during their 2016 Olympics qualifiers at Kenyatta Stadium on May 31, 2015. The Starlets’ preparations faced many challenges. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |

What you need to know:

  • Sports Kenya’s intention to take over funding of national sides a short in the arm for the industry.

Finally there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the management of Kenya’s national sports teams, who’ve of late had more lows than highs when it comes to preparations for major events.

We’ve heard too many scandals of late; from kits disappearing, to training venues not booked and sports men and women not being paid allowances on time.

This could be a thing of a past after Sports Kenya announced this week that they would take over the management of all national squads within three months.

Sports Kenya was created under the Sports Act to manage sports in the country and is now part of our laws.

The legal entity is mandated to promote, coordinate and implement national and international sports programmes, establish, manage, develop and maintain the sports facilities around the country, along with the promotion of sports tourism.

This is what I have been screaming about in my articles for the last two years! It’s about time that a separate government entity was developed to run sports in the country, as this has the potential to really put Kenya on the map.

If this is done right than the sky is the limit, as we are likely to witness the development of world-class facilities that can in turn raise the standards of sporting disciplines and bring more international events to the country.

Interestingly, Sports Kenya chairman Fred Muteti mentioned that three modern stadiums would be built by 2017, including a rugby specific one in Nairobi off Ngong Road.

I will believe this when I see the foundations laid and construction started.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see rugby played in a modern stadium with thousands of fans screaming next to the pitch, however, there have been too many false promises in the past. The other two stadiums will be built in Mombasa and Eldoret, which has just had a brand new tartan track laid recently and has upgrading work going on including the car park, to enable it host international championships.

Back to the national squads and Muteti said Sports Kenya will meet all national federations within the next two weeks to harmonise calendars so training facilities are booked in advance to ensure the teams fully benefit from the facilities.

I will be closely monitoring for you the developments of what is an important new dawn for Kenya’s national teams and wish Sports Kenya the best of luck in their endeavours.

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With the chaos surrounding local football, rugby appears to be well on its way to becoming the country’s number one team sport.

Next weekend will witness two events of note: the Masaku Sevens in Machakos and the Diani Beach Touch Rugby Tournament. Along with the KCB Eldoret Rally next Saturday, sports fans will be spoilt for choice.

The Diani event is in its seventh year, and it’s growing in strength and popularity thanks to the efforts of founder George Barbour and his team. Barbour is something of a legend at the South Coast – the owner of Ali Barbour’s Restaurant and the Forty Thieves Beach Bar, his place also hosts Sky Dive Diani, one of the few places in the world where every ‘jump’ is a ‘beach jump’.

Last year’s rugby tournament featured 28 teams from four nations competing in a 5-a-side format on four pitches on the beach. Diani aims to join the international circuit to give it more credibility. The event is also an important feature on the calendar, bringing in an estimated 1,000 spectators to the area over the three days and proving how vital sports tourism is.

Men’s, women’s, mixed and veterans’ teams will be battling it out for the titles on offer, with the proceeds from the tournament going towards the South Coast Pirates rugby team, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Kenya Cup.

Look out for teams from the UK, Tanzania and Uganda, along with squads from Nairobi, Nanyuki, Naivasha, Kijabi, Mombasa, Malindi and Diani competing for glory in next weekend’s event.

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Oh dear, here we go again. World football’s governing body Fifa has given both the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Kenya Premier League (KPL) until the end of next month to have a memorandum in place for next season’s top flight competition.

It appears that the two parties have not learnt anything from the all-out war they fought earlier this year, and the losers in this protracted fight will once again be the players, officials and sponsors.

With elections looming, the members of the federation will be predictably focusing their attentions on remaining in power.

It appears that government officials and stakeholders are powerless to halt the madness occurring with the administration of the sport, and the longer this continues, the more the game will sink into the abyss.

We saw the shambles of Harambee Stars on the pitch in Addis Ababa last weekend and also witnessed the pitiful surrender of our clubs in continental competitions this season.

The state of our clubs compared to their counterparts in the region also speaks volumes about the way our sport is being run.

It’s time for the fans and stakeholder to grab the bulls by the horns and make a concerted effort to remove football from egocentric, greedy officials with no care for the growth of the game.

The Fifa syndrome is sadly part of the sport here where corruption allegations is the order of the day, and despite numerous complaints from players, teams and officials, no change is imminent.

Frankly it’s sickening and the country is powerless to do anything thanks to the Fifa statute that forbids outside interference.

It is Fifa themselves who have created this monster and they can’t tame it.

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It’s unusual for Kenya to be hosting an international rugby match on a Sunday, but that’s precisely what will be happening tomorrow as the Simbas clash with Tunisia in the second round of the Africa Cup Division 1A Championship at the RFUEA Grounds.
After both teams lost their opening matches, Sunday’s game will be of added significance, as the winner will almost certainly secure top-flight status for another season, while a victory could go some way towards winning the title.