Ababu flags off Team Kenya for African Games
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba (centre) hands over flag to athletics team representing Kenya in the African Games at Weston Hotel in Nairobi on March 07,2024.
What you need to know:
- Namwamba said the KNSC's top organ made arbitrary decisions without consulting further with his ministry on the issues raised by athletes
- Namwamba, who was in Morocco when the athletes staged the protest demanding an increase in the quota allocated to them, said he was disturbed by the incident
- Namwamba said that moving forward, KNSC or the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) must work in synch with sports federations before settling on numbers to represent the country in events
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba Thursday blamed the Kenya National Sports Council (KNSC) for the protest that rocked athletics trials for the African Games earlier this week.
Namwamba said the KNSC's top organ made arbitrary decisions without consulting further with his ministry on the issues raised by athletes, adding: “Athletics is the jewel in the crown of our sports and must be taken care of well.”
Namwamba, who was in Morocco when the athletes staged the protest demanding an increase in the quota allocated to them, said he was disturbed by the incident.
Namwamba was speaking Thursday upon presenting the athletics team with the national flag at Weston Hotel, Nairobi, as they prepare to proceed to camp on Sunday ahead of departure for the Games that start Friday in Accra, Ghana.
“I had to call all the way from Morocco but KNSC should have sought advice from Athletics Kenya and the ministry before taking measures that can affect the country’s performance considering that athletics is our main medal earners in such games,” said Namwamba.
Namwamba said that moving forward, KNSC or the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) must work in synch with sports federations before settling on numbers to represent the country in events.
“Furthermore, it is the government that is paying the bills, and if for budgetary reasons there are changes, they ought to inform us on time. I believe what happened shouldn’t have happened if there was prudent leadership at KNSC," said Namwamba.
Kenyan athletes had on Tuesday boycotted the national trials for the Africa Games at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The athletes were protesting the quota of 35 places - 30 athletes and five officials - allocated by the KNSC.
AK were supposed to provide 16 men and 14 women athletes and five officials for the Games.
Athletics participation had been cut by 50 per cent from the 2019 African Games held in Rabat, Morocco. A total of 61 athletes competed in athletics.
Even after athletes were forced to compete by their respective departments, Namwamba intervened, which saw the number rise to 52 athletes and 11 officials.
Kenya collected 31 medals: 11 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze from the 2019 Rabat Games.
From the haul, athletics contributed 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze. The national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, won the other gold medal.
