The year 2022 can aptly be described as one of ups and downs in Kenya’s sports landscape, having offered both positive and negative lessons the sector’s leadership ought to borrow from in the New Year.
Granted, the negative aspects of various sports disciplines have overshadowed the gains made even as Kenya is trying to safeguard its reputation as a sporting powerhouse, especially in athletics.
However, in as much as there is a lot to celebrate, there are two questions Kenya must address in 2023; doping in athletics and football’s dwindling fortunes.
Kenya used to achieve great feats during the early 1980s when Marshall Mulwa was in charge of the Harambee Stars squad that won three consecutive Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup titles.
Three decades down the line, Kenyan football has taken a beating as other countries, which were many rungs lower, continue improving their game to the point of attracting foreign players and taking part in international tournaments as Kenya misses out. The ban by Fifa over the government’s interference in the game did not help matters even as squabbling continued between Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Sports Ministry.
Now that this is behind us, it is time for the country to focus on building a strong grassroots to build football, make the national team more inclusive and tap young talent from all corners of the country to improve the fortunes of the game.
Similarly, there is also need to address the rise in the doping menace that has infiltrated athletes to the point of the country coming close to being blacklisted by the IAAF and international doping agencies.
Kenya has continued to perform exceptionally well in World Athletics Championships and it would cast a pall on the country’s sterling record were our athletes to find themselves blacklisted because their compatriots fell foul of anti-doping regulations. This is a blot that ought to be addressed and sanctions imposed on offenders so as to make 2023 the year of redeeming Kenya’s sport image globally. The country is not short of talent and the more sports authorities nurture younger sports people, the more we shall continue getting better while avoiding the mistakes of the past.
It is encouraging to learn that President William Ruto has stood out for his continuous rallying calls to promote sports and this is the way to go if we are to get the desired results, not just in football and athletics, but in all other sports as well.
