It was a great moment for Kenyan Athletic lovers in 2016, one of the most celebrated sport in the country after taking the lion share both on track and road across the world especially at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in Brazil.
It was great for Jemimah Sumgong who lifted the first ever Olympic marathon title for the country in women category while Eliud Kipchoge won the second marathon title in men’s race as Vivian Cheruiyot scooped double medal gold and silver in 5,000m and 10,000m respectively. It was the great harvest for Kenya when they entered books of record for winning six gold, six silver and a bronze in the Brazilian capital.
Despite Kenya registering big wins at the Olympic Games, the side shows did not do well as athletes’ kits Kenyan government has apologized to Kenyans and the entire athletics fraternity after the mess Zakari Okora, the Assistant Commissioner of Sports in the ministry of Sports, who carried the message of good will to the athletes last in a ceremony held at Nandi Bears, Nandi County.
Okora said the mess up has affected Kenya globally and needs to be clear and truth be told before next event.
“The mess in Rio Olympics games, we have heard so much of the it and we should not go and talk too much on the issue which is in court but as the government we should say we are sorry for what happened in Rio because we are the people who sponsored the whole thing. It is the government of Kenya that sponsored both the Rio Olympics and Rio Paralympics and you know the amount of resources that went into that was so much,” said Okora.
He insisted that apart from what happened in Rio with a few mess-ups that were there, athletes came back very great. The country won more medals that it had never done so.
“Such small thing should not be talked too much, creating mountains out of anti-hills. And arms of government is dealing with the issue but as the ministry we should say we are sorry, which is giving us a bad name and we should start from there to move forward as a country that is meant to win especially in the coming Olympic games. The baggage of the mess in rio should be behind in the next event and never think about it,” reiterated Okora.
As 2016 ends athletics family mourned Ian Mutuku and former AK President Isaiah Kiplagat, who all passed on this year.
It was also difficult for as myriad of problems kept on sweeping across Kenya’s number one sport.
Sports stakeholders were in a mad-rush to enact the Anti-doing laws to avert a looming ban from World Anti-Doping Agency, which could see the nation miss Rio Olympics.
The doping claims and the alleged theft of kits by National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) created fault lines and even threatened to throw to the dogs the goose that lays Kenya’s golden egg.
About 43 athletes have failed doping tests in the past three years, with highest number including high profile athletes testing positive for banned substances netted last year.
This year, the IAAF extended Rita Jeptoo’s ban for another two years.
On doping issues Okora said young and upcoming athletes, in this country many people are envious and jealous about Kenya these days so everybody is focusing on Kenya especially now that the country is always on the winning list. “So it is very important that we take care of ourselves away from drugs.”