IAAF replace Okeyo as two stars banned

What you need to know:

  • Kenya loses important seat in Monaco.
  • Okeyo, an Athletics Kenya (AK) vice-president, is being investigated by the IAAF’s ethics board over allegations of financial impropriety centering around American sportswear giant Nike’s contract with AK.
  • Also under investigation is former AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua.
  • Both officials have denied any wrongdoing maintaining that their dealings with Nike were above board and all monies accounted for.

Suspended Athletics Kenya official David Okeyo has been replaced on the powerful International Association of Athletics Federations’ Council.

The Monaco-based world athletics governing body has picked, on an interim basis, Vivian Gungaram to replace Okeyo.

Gungaram is the president of the Mauritius Athletics Association and is also a vice-president and technical director of the African Athletics Confederation.

Okeyo, an Athletics Kenya (AK) vice-president, is being investigated by the IAAF’s ethics board over allegations of financial impropriety centering around American sportswear giant Nike’s contract with AK.

DENIED CLAIMS

Also under investigation is former AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua. Both officials have denied any wrongdoing maintaining that their dealings with Nike were above board and all monies accounted for.

The decision to replace Okeyo at IAAF’s decision-making organ was reached after a series of meetings involving the IAAF and the African Athletics Confederation this week in Shkirat, Morocco.

Okeyo confirmed that he had spoken with IAAF president Seb Coe and agreed on the decision.

“The president called me and I told him I have no problem (with the replacement),” Okeyo said. “The investigations have taken far too long and Africa should not suffer that’s why I have no problem with the decision to replace me on a temporary basis.

“I would have liked this case to end as soon as possible.”

Kenya, one of the world’s top athletics nations, now doesn’t have any representation at the IAAF Council as former, long-serving Council member, Isaiah Kiplagat, died last year.

DUO BANNED

Meanwhile, the Sports Disputes Tribunal have upheld the decision by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) to sanction two athletes for using banned performance enhancing substances.

The tribunal found Shieys Chepkosgei and Florence Chepsoi guilty of having used the banned substances and upheld their four-year and two-year bans respectively.

Chepkosgei had been charged with using banned testosterone, androsterone and etiocholanone at the Hari Sukan Negara Half Marathon in Malaysia on October 8, 2016, while Chepsoi was charged with having used prednisone and prednisolone in November, 2015.