Ababu faults Sports Council over athletes goslow during trials

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has faulted the Kenya National Sports Council for the stand-off that marred the Athletics Kenya trials for All African Games on Tuesday morning.

According to CS Ababu, he had to intervene with the officials of Athletics Kenya in search of a solution even though noting the situation of athletes staging a go slow could have been avoided if there was consultations with relevant parties.

On Tuesday morning, the trials to select athletics team to represent Kenya at the All African Games in Accra, Ghana failed to take off as scheduled as a number of athletes refused to step on the track, lamenting on the criteria of selection created by the local body after Kenya National Sport Council had allocated only 30 slots for the dependable sport.

The athletes staged protest regarding Athletics Kenya plan to pick athletes finishing in first position at the trials.

The near embarrassing situation was settled in the afternoon after athletes affiliated to disciplined forces agreed to participate in the trials after numerous talks with there top bosses. Later in the evening after CS Ababu intervention while in Morocco,it was noted that Kenya’s athletics quota for the African Games was increased from 30 to 52.

“This whole athletics situation got me while I was away on official duties and I had to make phone calls to Athletics Kenya to clean up issue that was affecting the trials.I gave instructions on what needed to be done and I am glad that it was sorted out,” Ababu said yesterday at a Nairobi hotel while handing over a Kenya flag to the athletics legion.

A total of 52 athletes will report to camp this camp before traveling to Ghana later next week where they commence their gold rush from March 18.

Even as the team embarks on the surge for glory for Kenya, CS Ababu notes the importance consultations before making key resolutions that would affect the face of team Kenya.

“Normally for a multi-disciplinary competitions like the All African Games and the Olympics;you have a body that is takes care of the process and therefore for the All African Games it is the Kenya National Sports Council while for Olympic Games it is the National Olympic Committee of Kenya which is in charge.Either body must make sure that they work in sync with the federations and in this case, Athletics Kenya could have been in the picture.

More so,it is government that pays the bills for this team that is going to Accra.Therefore,if you are going to make any changes even if it’s budgetary reasons; you should get approval from the mother federation and government.We don’t want scenarios where a decision that had not been sanctioned becomes sticking points yet we could have sorted with timely consultations.”

CS Ababu wished the team well and in Accra and reminded them the weight of flying the Kenyan flag in search of sporting glory away from home.