OJUANG: Lessons from Qatar win: A little less lip service, a lot more effort

What you need to know:

  • We must take time to congratulate the little organised nation. Their bid for hosting the World Cup was not taken seriously until they actually made it and took the rights to host the 2022 edition of one of the planet’s greatest sporting showcase.

Earlier this month, Qatar were crowned the Asian Cup champions in football. They have come from very far and in a well-structured plan, their football has grown tremendously.

We must take time to congratulate the little organised nation. Their bid for hosting the World Cup was not taken seriously until they actually made it and took the rights to host the 2022 edition of one of the planet’s greatest sporting showcase.

After winning the rights they immediately took the time to build their national team in anticipation of being formidable opponents in the tournament.

We must also take note of just how fast they have been going up the Fifa rankings like lightning!

They may become something this generation shall talk about for a long time to come. They are a testimony to what proper and structured organisation can achieve and how it can lead to the changing of lives.

This is something we have always lacked and it seems we shall lack it for a long time to come. We are just verbal kings and our Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Sports proved this last week.

The talkative fellow was invited for a dinner party at the Qatari embassy in Nairobi. The Qataris were very happy celebrating their win of the Asian cup.

Their gracious ambassador in the country Jabor Bin Ali Al-Dosari invited sports officials and dignitaries to the function and that was how our Chief Administrative Secretary for Sports (CAS) got an invite.

He partook of the Qatari food and after sampling niceties like Machboos, Saloona, Margoog, Madrouba, Luqaimat and other lovely Qatari dishes he found it fit to belch.

He did not stop there; he opened his mouth to give a shameless speech that sounded like he was paying for his dinner. He said and I quote: “Kenya will stand in solidarity with the newly crowned Asian football champions …. the underlining factor is the desire to be champions. We are proud with what Qatar has done, it is a huge challenge for us ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations … we also want to be at the world cup soon …. there’s a lot we can learn from the country. Recently, they climbed to 55th in the latest Fifa rankings, gaining 38 places and reaching their best position since 1993 … that is testament enough that Kenya can do better than the current position 108 …”

The last two sentences are really annoying considering that this is an inept ministry, too limp to do anything worthy of praise.

At the same time the wordy CAS was belching, our Olympic gold medallist Susan Gatwiri was finishing her chores as a house help in some dingy village!

The money promised to athletes who flew the nation’s flag at the 2016 Rio Olympics have not yet been paid and some even forgot about it. We are going to emulate Qatar by doing nothing and hoping to achieve results!

The Qataris have triumphed with order and organisation. Here we shall eat their dinner and lie about ourselves.

That ministry should do Kenyans a favour by just keeping quiet and minding their own business which has nothing to do with Kenyan sports. Just leave us alone and shut up please!