Ezekiel Kemboi furious as action on Olympic probe awaited
From right: 1968 Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase silver medallist Ben Kogo, current world steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi and Peter Ng’eno, chief operating officer of Lotto Foundation, strike the ‘Kemboi pose’ during a luncheon held on December 21, 2016 at Nandi Bears Club for athletes who excelled at the Rio Olympics and Paralympics. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |
What you need to know:
- Gaming firm Lotto and sports ministry host Olympic stars for luncheon
- Kemboi claimed he had been pushed and forced to step outside the track.
Kenya’s multiple World and Olympic steeplechase gold medallist Ezekiel Kemboi on Wednesday described Kenya’s Olympic officials as “tourists” and blamed them for failing to appeal against the disqualification that saw him stripped of his bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games.
Kemboi claimed the officials were not at hand to appeal within the required 30 minutes leading to his disqualification for stepping inside the track after an appeal by fourth-placed Mahieddine Mekhissi-Benabbad elevated the Frenchman to bronze medal position.
Kemboi claimed he had been pushed and forced to step outside the track.
Kemboi said Kenya could have performed better in Rio had the team’s officials “been more responsible.”
“If the Kenya’s officials were in the field when I was pushed, they could have appealed for me,” added Kemboi.
A report by a special probe committee appointed by the government to investigate mismanagement of Kenya’s team in Rio presented its report to Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and President Uhuru Kenyatta last month but no action has been taken.
The report also concluded that Kemboi’s bronze was overruled via a protest to the Jury of appeal by the French Olympic committee that the Kenyan athlete had impeded Mekhissi-Benabbad in contravention of Rule 163.3d (lane infringement).
“The Kenyan delegation protested the ruling but their appeal was turned down and Kemboi lost his medal,” the report said.
An angry Kemboi spoke as Kenya’s Rio Olympics and Paralympics stars were treated to a celebratory lunch by gaming company Lotto and the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts at the Nandi Bears Club in Nandi County.
Kemboi led the stellar cast at the luncheon that also featured Paralympics double gold medallist Samuel Mushai who won the 1,500 and 5,000 metres in the T11 class along with Wilson Bii, a medallist in the 5,000m, T11 class.
Kemboi nonetheless praised Lotto and the sports ministry for holding the luncheon in Nandi County, stressing the importance of discipline for upcoming athletes.
Ben Kogo, who was in Kenya’s steeplechase team to the 1968 Olympic Games, was also present.
Lotto Foundation chief operating officer Peter Ng’eno they decided to award the medallist since they have been flying the Kenyan flag high.
“Lotto in conjunction with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts decided to award our athletes because they have done our country proud,” said Ng’eno.
