Echesa, amputee team reach deal to resolve crisis

The national amputee football team has ended a day-long strike after agreeing a deal with the government to have their allowances paid by next week.

According to the Kenya Amputee Federation treasurer Polycap Otieno, and team captain Dalmas Otieno, this was agreed after the team held talks with Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa on Friday morning.

"We have been given Sh200,000 and promised the remaining Sh2.2 million by Wednesday next week. The minister was unhappy that we used Mike Sonko-branded T-shirts at the tournament but we have also resolved that," said Polycap Otieno.

The team spent Thursday night at the Ministry of Sports headquarters' boardroom after failing to get audience with the minister. The sit-in followed the arrival of the team from Mexico, where they finished 12th in the 24-team Amputee World Cup.

On Tuesday, the team spent 18 hours at Frankfurt Airport without a meal as they journeyed back home from Guadalajara, Mexico, where they played their matches of the quadrennial tournament.

And this was after a 10-hour flight from Mexico.

And then there was the eight-hour flight from Frankfurt to Nairobi.

By the time of going to press, Echesa was still unavailable for comment.

Angola won the championship after edging out Turkey 5-4 on post-match penalties to lift the title.

Kenya lost 4-1 to Turkey and 4-1 to Russia before beating USA and Japan by the same 2-1 score line.