Nike ‘shipped Rudisha kit to Rio after Nock mess’

Nike officials were forced to ship David Rudisha’s competition kit to Rio de Janeiro after blundering Kenyan officials gave the Olympic and World champion a wrong set of uniforms.

According to a letter written by the American sportswear manufacturers to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Probe Committee, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) officials failed to clear Kenya’s kit for the games in time and when part of the consignment was eventually made available, many of the athletes either received wrong sizes or had most of their allocation missing.

Nike are unhappy that Nock officials failed to respond to their concerns over missing kit and were not honest in their explanation as to why they took too long to clear Team Kenya’s uniforms from customs.

In the letter to the investigating committee’s chairman Paul Ochieng, Nike vice president (in charge of global litigation and employment counsel) Robert Leinwand says his company honoured their part of the contract with Nock by delivering products in time but were unhappy at the Kenyan Olympics organisation’s reluctance to clear the consignment promptly.

Leinwand said according to the contract, Nock is required to place orders for kits nine months in advance of the date such product is needed.

“Products must include the exact styles, sizes delivery dates and quantities,” the Nike vice president said.

“Nike sent several shipments in May and June of 2016, and the majority of shipments have a corresponding Proof of Delivery (POD) date from UPS (courier company).”

As per the contract, Nock placed an order on October 13, 2015 and made an additional request via email on January 29, 2016.

But after sending the required shipments that arrived in Kenya in May and July, Nike expressed concern that Nock failed to clear the shipments in time from customs in Nairobi, even after the company sent their sports marketing federation director Robert Lotwis to Nairobi to personally supervise the distribution of kits to athletes and teams.

“Mr Lotwis requested that Nock retrieve the product from customs during his trip to allow him personally deliver the product,” Leinwand wrote.

“He specifically extended his trip to allow Nock extra time to retrieve product. However, Nock failed and Mr Lotwis ultimately had to leave Kenya prior to Nock obtaining the product from customs.

“After Mr Lotwis left Kenya, Nock retrieved the product from customs as evidenced by the POD dates.” Nike further say Lotwis received complaints from athletes that they did not receive an adequate amount of kits or that they were given wrong sizes.

“Despite having provided more than enough product initially, after receiving complaints, Nike had to create additional product and have it express-shipped to Rio to ensure that Kenyan athletes had what they needed to compete.”

In Rio, Mr Lotwis provided the product to athletes personally. For example, Nike provided uniforms to Ferguson Rotich, Caleb Ndiku and David Rudisha during the Olympic games because they informed him that the product they received was the wrong size,” Leinwand reveals.

NIKE SENT NUMEROUS REQUESTS TO NOC-K

He further said Nike sent numerous requests via email and attempted to contact Nock through telephone calls to further investigate the athletes’ complaints but they did not succeed until the time of the games.

Leinwand added that Nike requested an in-person meeting with F.K. Paul (Nock secretary-general) and Stephen Soi (Team Kenya’s head of delegation in Rio) which eventually occurred on the second week of the Games.

“During that meeting, Mr Paul and Mr Soi informed Nike that much of the product Nike shipped to Nock was in storage in Nairobi. They offered no explanation as to why the product was nor delivered to the athletes for the Games.”

According to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Probe Committee report, members of Kenya’s archery and swimming athletes didn’t receive any training or competition kits, forcing them to purchase their competition kit.

The committee notes in their report that over the years, whenever teams travelled to major games, there has always been hue and cry over kits. Stories of athletes and coaches missing kits and complaining to the to Nike are not new in Kenya.

“There is growing concern as to why his trend cannot not change for better,” said the report that questioned why Team Kenya received fewer kits that provided by Nike.

Archery had one competitor, Shehzana Anwar, who was coached and managed by Tabasum Anwar.

RECEIVED NO COMPETITION KITS

Both only received their ceremonial kits but not competition outfits forcing Shehzana to compete in home-made branded kit.

The swimming team had only two competitors - Talisa Lanoe and Hamdan Bayusuf.

The report further says kit sizes for both men and women’s rugby sevens teams were not perfect fits with the women’s team getting their kits on match day.

Nike delivered boxing competition kit in Rio while a fraction of athletics team got smaller size kits while the race walking team didn’t get their competition shoes.

The probe committee recommended that the ongoing investigations on the whereabouts of the kit meant for Team Kenya by the police and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission should be made public once concluded and the kit be given to their rightful owners.

It also wants the black-yellow travel uniforms issued by Kenya Breweries Limited for Team Kenya, which were received by Nock official James Chacha on July 19 and 21, be traced and given to the athletes.

Already, top Nock officials have been arraigned in court over the mismanagement and disappearance of the kit meant for Team Kenya and alleged misappropriation of funds.

They are Chef de Mission Stephen Soi, overall team manager Pius Ochieng, who is also Nock second vice chairman, Nock secretary general Francis Paul, treasurer Fridah Shiroya and first vice chairman Ben Ekumbo.

The latest to be charged in court is Ekumbo where bales of Team Kenya uniforms was discovered in his apartment in Nairobi.

He is also being charged with the molestation of minor in swimming where he is the Kenya Swimming Federation chairman.

The committee detailed that all the federations want the equipment and uniforms be availed early enough before any championships and the Nock should employ a General Kit Manager whose work will be to collect kit needs from various teams and place orders and ensure accurate and honest distribution of the same.

In order to avoid theft, the committee further suggests that all Team Kenya kits should be delivered to the local Nike distributor or agent and then each athlete and officials collects theirs directly from them.

They want the kit to be ordered in good time and sizes of athletes be taken into consideration to avoid under or over sizes.