AK in crisis meeting with runners

Athletics Kenya officials on Tuesday held a crisis meeting with the runners as they urged them not boycott the Commonwealth Games over unpaid allowances.

“Even if you take a cow to the river to drink water and it refuses you don’t kill it,” said athletics team manager Paul Mutwii. “We have implored on the athletes to save the country an embarrassment and do their duty.”

Mutwii’s efforts to defuse the tension came as the government once again failed to honour a promise to deliver half of Team Kenya overseas allowances at their camp in Kasarani.

However, Sports Commissioner Gordon Oluoch said the delay had been necessitated by failure by banks to give them the money in dollars. “It has been difficult to get foreign currency from the banks but we have finally secured the cash and they have been given,” said Oluoch.

Oluoch said the remaining members of the team will receive their allowances today at Kasarani while those who have already left will have their cash delivered to them.

Athletics team had vowed not to board the plane until half of their allowances are settled. Each of the 195 athletes in Team Kenya are entitles to overseas allowances amounting to Sh522,000 covering 24 days.

The second batch of athletes left the country yesterday via Amsterdam and Dubai respectively without their allowances. Others travelled with without their training and competition kits while others received half.

PROTESTED OVER ALLOWANCES

Members of the boxing team, who had protested over allowances from two international championships last year, weightlifting, swimming, squash, table tennis and cycling (Mountain Bike) left jetted out last evening.

Athletics team captain Julius Yego will lead some athletes out today, mostly in sprints and field events participants.