Decorated athlete Symon Kibai poses for a photo with the Kenyan flag after retaining his men's 5000m title at the 24th Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil on May 14, 2022.
Kenya will miss the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo if it does not pay half of the Sh18 million owed to the World Deaf Sports governing body and the Danish Deaf Sports Association by Sunday.
The country currently faces suspension from all competitions organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) due to the Sh18m debt.
During the ICSD Centenary Congress held in Paris in October, the organisation set a November 10 deadline for Kenya to pay at least half of the debt and submit a commitment letter to clear the remaining amount by December.
With only days remaining, Kenya’s chances of competing in the Deaflympics are in jeopardy with the government silent on the matter.
Yesterday, Miriam Opondo, vice president of the Confederation of Africa Deaf Sports and representative for the Kenya Basketball Deaf Association, voiced her concerns over the stalled negotiations.
“We’re already out of the 2025 Deaflympics unless this debt is cleared this week. Time is not on our side; I’m already giving up,” said a frustrated Opondo, who has been unable to secure meetings with Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen or PS Peter Tum to discuss how to resolve the issue.
The debt, managed by the Kenya Sports Federation of the Deaf (KSFD), arose when the organisation failed to send teams to the 2023 World Deaf Handball Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the 2024 World Deaf Youth Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Because of the debt, KSFD cannot register for the Deaflympics through the ICSD’s Operation Management System (OMS), which closes on November 15.
Even if Kenya settles the debt after the OMS closes, the ICSD has confirmed that the registration deadline will not be extended, effectively disqualifying the country from participating.
“Our only hope is that the government will pay 50 per cent of the debt and provide a commitment letter on a payment plan for the remaining amount. That is what ICSD agreed to at the last meeting in Paris,” said KSFD president Bernard Banja, whose recent election is being contested in court by Opondo.
The debt includes Sh10.4m owed to the Danish Deaf Sports Association for failing to cover accommodation and participation costs at the World Deaf Handball Championships, and Sh3.2m in entry, excess, and penalty fees for not attending the 2024 World Deaf Youth Games in Sao Paulo.
In a letter addressed to former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba in June 2024, ICSD appealed for support, noting Kenya’s prominence in global deaf sports.
“I appeal to the honourable CS to support the KSFD to ensure that as Africa’s leading sports organisation, the KSFD continues to develop deaf sports in Kenya and Africa,” the letter stated.
