Kenya may lose rights to stage Africa meeting

Athletics Kenya has issued a month notice to make commitments on the organisation programme for the 2010 Africa Athletics Championship or the event will be moved elsewhere.

Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said the government has up to March 1 to respond or Confederation of African Athletics will have to shop elsewhere for an alternative host.

Kenya won the bid to host the biggest continental track and field competition at the conclusion of the last event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last year.

Government effort

But nine months since the right s to organise the event were won, there has been no government effort has in securing the funds for the championships.

“We can no longer keep CAA on hold. They event is big and it requires full government commitment. They need to know if Kenya is still interested or they will take it somewhere with enough time for the alternative hold to plan and complete the organisation procedures,” said Kiplagat.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Tusker Athletics meeting are yet to pay the prize money to winning athletes two years down the line.

Event sponsors Kenya Breweries Limited have since stood down a call by Athletics Kenya to fund another meeting in May demanding an explanation and settlement of the initial prize money, which they paid out to the organisers.

But AK has remained adamant, the deals entered during the meet was between the marketing firm Keino Sports Marketing and KBL while they played an outside role providing the technical officials.

“This should be settled between the two because AK had limited part to play. We understand that KBL is seeking to pay out the athletes afresh and pursue the matter later,” said Kiplagat.

New sponsor

Now AK must secure a new sponsor for the meeting, which has since been pushed forward to September after the expiry of the international track and field season.

The Kenya meeting known as the Tusker Permit meet is part of the IAAF Africa circuit with other legs held in Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria and Mauritius.

At the same time, AK secretary general David Okeyo said all athletes must register with the federation and be given special numbers to qualify to take part in the international meetings abroad.

He said a new rule has been introduced where runners must secure a health Insurance cover to cater for their medical and evacuation back home in the event of a fatal accident.