More hitches for Africa athletics contest

• Treasury yet to release funds for organising committee as continent championship nears

The Local Organising Committee for 2010 Senior Africa Athletics Championship will not be getting down to work yet as they must postpone operations to wait for a new gazette notice and green light from the government.

It has also emerged that the LOC can not get their hands on the Sh30 million meant for its operations because it is not able to open a bank account.

Sports secretary Wilson Lang’at, who is also a member of the committee, confirmed that new amendments are supposed to be placed in a special gazette notice that was due to be published today, which will clear any hurdles and get the organising committee started.

“There were some names that were placed in the earlier notice which need to be done away with. We hope this can be done quickly. The changes were meant to come out a long time ago; I do not know what has delayed them,” said Lang’at.

This puts a damper on hopes of LOC to get its secretariat underway and second staff to it in order to relaunch and sensitise the championship, which was meant to be done this month.

The Treasury has declined to release the initial Sh30 million as the LOC can not open a bank account yet. The government is funding the championship, which are set for July 28 to August 1 at Kasarani, to the tune of Sh250 million.

“November is a more appropriate date. We are not expecting funds until then and we might just have to wait. Already, we have seconded three staff officials to the secretariat,” said Lang’at.

This has since prompted Athletics Kenya – who stand to receive the sticks from both IAAF and Confederation of African Athletics – to facilitate the initial operations of the championship secretariat from its own accounts, fearing they will not be able to make it in time for the continental event.

Tired of waiting game

The LOC’s chief executive officer, David Okeyo, confirmed that AK is tired of the waiting game and will not risk further delay on getting the operations of its committees and secretariat under way.

He however acknowledged that the delay might be caused by inability by Parliament (currently in recess) to pass the Appropriation Bill that will secure funds for the remainder of the financial year.

Okeyo said they need to re-launch and raise the profile of the event, having got the green light from the Confederation of African Athletics. This is meant to sensitise the sponsors and the corporate world of the need to support the championship. LOC is set to invite afresh all the 53 African member federations for the event that has been pushed back to July from April.

Of priority to the secretariat will be equipment for the championship, some of which require to be ordered early before they are manufactured. About Sh40 million is meant for the acquisition of the equipment, through the Sports Stadia Management Board (SSMB).

From the shelves

“Some of the equipment we want must be ordered six months in advance. It is not something we order from the shelves, and all these need to be done now,” said Isaiah Kiplagat, the LOC chairman.