Items by The Figure

www.sportskenya.blogspot.com

• Sean Cardovillis decides to return home to Kenya

  Posted: May 7, 2012, 8:20 pm by The Figure

  One of the biggest names in sports-casting for FM radio back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sean Cardovillis is set to return to Kenya soon. After setting up shop in the scenic island of Seychelles with Paradise FM, this sports-caster who was one of the talents formed at the iconic Capital FM 98.4, he seems destined to make a re-entry into the Kenyan scene.
  With the media industry suddenly expanding from local outfits eager to improve on their editorial content as well as international media houses setting up in Kenya such as SuperSport, Sean's skills will definitely come in handy for his knowledge in sport and experience too.
  In a status update on his Facebook page, he said " Today I have officially chosen to not renew my contract with Paradise FM, Seychelles. Destination 'Return to Kenya'...details soon"
  
  We wish him well as he comes home to the Kenyan soil.
  
  In case you didn't know his cousin Charles Cardovillis is the Assistant Manager of the Kenya 7s team which he played for too in the last decade.
  
  

• Safety in Sport - How prepared is Kenyan sport?

  Posted: May 5, 2012, 1:30 pm by The Figure

  The recent death of Aberdeen Shikhoyi in the rugby sport brought to the fore the concerns of sports and the safety or precautions taken for each and his own.
  Rugby as one analyst said is a contact sport and as expected, there are bound to be injuries, concussions and at times serious internal injuries incurred while one is on the pitch. Same goes for other sports such as football, basketball and also to a lesser extent volleyball. In any case, most sporting disciplines have one or the other form of contact.
  This thus informs the reason why it ought to be a proper consideration for medical and ambulance services for any sporting event, however small. This should go further to not just having medical personnel at these events but also proper training offered to the medical team that accompanies the teams or individuals. It is also imperative to offer First Aid lessons to all team members the logic behind this being, they will be the first to see or notice when a player is down or injured. That moment of the first few seconds or minutes can be a matter of life or death as witnessed in the EPL's Fabrice Muamba's case.
  But while these are practised, it is integral that sporting clubs, teams and associations make medical tests compulsory on a regular basis. This should be effected at the start of the season, at regular times during the season and also while the players are on their break. Another practice that still has not taken root in Kenyan sport, is the issue of medical cover.
  Insurance companies and health service providers have not quite endeared themselves to most Kenyans but there are baby steps made in the world of sport. This should be increased three-fold since as we have seen, the loss of a life or a player through injury can be quite detrimental to the morale of the remaining players and future stars of a game. Remember how the famous Joe JJ Masiga had to abruptly quit his sporting career, thanks to nagging injuries which if detected and treated maybe would have meant a longer and more fruitful career in football.
  Going forward though, stakeholders in sports, insurance and medical practitioners will need to find a way of engaging with each other to see to it that the loss through injury, death of our sports personalities is reduced drastically. It's the least each can do for the good of Kenyan sport!
  
  

• Tom Sears quit Cricket Kenya for Irish Rugby club

  Posted: May 4, 2012, 8:00 pm by The Figure

  The situation of the Kenyan cricket game is such that its former CEO would quit in a hurry and opt for a less glamorous appointment as rugby club CEO. Tom Sears who has been at helm at Cricket Kenya for only two years must have known something that we didn't.
  

  Cricket Kenya logo - www.cricket-kenya.com

  Its without a doubt that the last 5 years or so, the Kenyan cricket scene has not had much to write home about. The only success if it were was the launch of 2  'franchise-like' cricket action pitting regional teams in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to a lesser extent. These were the East Africa Premier League and the East African Cup.
  These two tournaments have seen better development of our neighbours' games but nothing much to the Kenyan teams.
  Back to CK's former CEO, the nonchalant habits of the Board and also lack of enough support from ICC which funds the international game would be some of the reasons Mr. Sears decided to head north. It will be a tough call for the incoming CEO to add flavour to the Kenyan cricket game.
  Of utmost importance is;
  

  • getting the oomph back into club and national teams which seem to be rudderless and without inspiration to perform optimally. From remuneration to sponsors, these are but some of the issues that the new CEO should address;
  • two, there are international games that would be of great testing to the Kenyan game including clubs from Test playing nations or their 'A' and 'B' sides as it were. That exposure would be beneficial to the young men;
  • third, the current office has antagonised many former players who would serve the clubs and national team in consulting and coaching capacities. Engage them widely, they know what it takes to play in high stakes games;
  • fourth, as an Associate nation, its time we regained our status among the top Associate teams. This will need more than sheer determination and will but also enormous resources which a good CEO can and should surmount;
  • fifth, Test playing nations have been making a push for cricket to land back to the major sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. The success of Associate nations such as Kenya which has a rich Commonwealth & Olympic heritage would support such bids. Remember what Kenyan Rugby 7s proponents did for the 7s game inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games?
  • sixth , there is the World Cup qualifiers and Twenty 20 tournaments coming up in the next 2 years. Kenya HAS to be in those two events by whatever means. That's a favourable yardstick for any Cricket Kenya CEO worth his (or her...) salt. 
  • finally, its about time too that the game got onto the screens of the local enthusiasts. Local and pay TV channels are always looking for local content. Yours is a veritable choice which is waiting to happen. 

   Mr. Tom Sears, we wish you well as you enjoy Irish beer. Put in a few good words for the Kenyan cricket game and maybe you can send in a few recommendations for people to consider as new CEO. It will a Herculean task indeed!

• Robert Wangila - Africa's First & Kenya's Only Olympics Boxing Gold Medal - Seoul 1988

  Posted: May 4, 2012, 5:00 pm by The Figure

  Robert Wangila - Africa's First & Kenya's Only Olympics Boxing Gold Medal - Seoul 1988

• Road to Olympics - 1988 Seoul Olympics - 5-Gold Performance!

  Posted: May 4, 2012, 12:45 pm by The Figure

  1988 is one great year for Kenya in many ways. The country was marking 25 years since independence from its colonial masters ( as well as 10 years of the then Pres.Moi...). The country had also just held a fairly successful 4th All-Africa Games in Nairobi which formed the basis for the success to be seen in Seoul-South Korea. Here are some of the highlights for the Games;
  Seoul 1988 - XXIV Olympiad
  
  Interesting Facts:
  

  • It would the 2nd time for an Asian city to host the Games, after Tokyo;
  • Only 8 countries boycotted the Games slowly marking an end to these 'shows of might' by the then super-powers.
  • Last time for Soviet Union (USSR) and East Germany taking part as independent states. One year later, the USSR would break into different States as would other Eastern Europe Soviet-backed states such as Czechoslovakia. Only East Germany which became united with the West to form German Federal State;

  Figures:
  

  • 159 countries took part with 8453 participants , a marked improvement thanks to reduced boycotts and renewed interest in the sporting element of the Games;
  •  237 events took place in 27 sports;
  • Kenya participated in 7 disciplines ; Athletics, Boxing, Hockey, Judo, Shooting, Weightlifting and Wrestling
  • There were 74 participants from Kenya - 70 men & 4 women;
  • (The late) Florence Griffith-Joyner - US Sprint sensation , she won Gold in 100m, 200m and 4x100m and also silver  in the 4x400m. Just as she had come, so did she leave the sport, dying 10 years later;
  • Steffi Graf - women's tennis queen won the women's tennis title to top a great year of winning the Grand Slam. Tennis has returned to the Olympics after a 64-year hiatus;
  • Roy Jones Jr, US light middleweight boxer, controversially lost his bout to South Korea's Park Hi-Sun but was awarded the Val Barker Trophy;
  • The biggest scandal in Olympic Sport history occurred when Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the 100m  in world record time then of 9.79 secs. Days later he would test positive for performance enhancing drugs bringing the curtain down on one of athletics biggest cheats. This would also end his bitter rivalry with Carl Lewis.

   Kenya's Stats: In unprecedented style, the country's sportsmen turned this into a Gold medal bonanza in a little over 5 days.
  

  Hodori - 1988 Seoul Olympics mascot

  • (The late)Robert Wangila Napunyi would become the first Kenyan and African boxer to ever win an Olympic gold medal after knocking out Frenchman Laurent Boudouani in the 2nd round - no Kenyan boxer has come close since. Chris Sande also joined medal bracket by losing semi-final thus earning Bronze in Middleweight.
  • The two boxers were part of the 'Hit Squad' one of Kenya's most successful boxing squads which had represented the country in the King's Cup in Thailand, gaining valuable experience and winning 8 out of 12 available gold medals in the 4th All Africa Games held in Nairobi in 1987. 12of the boxers took part in Seoul
  • Kenyan athletes dominated the middle races by winning Gold in the 800m ( Paul Ereng), 1500m ( Peter Rono) , 3000m steeplechase ( Julius Kariuki) and 5000m (John Ngugi). Silver Medals came through Peter Koech in 3000m s/chase and Douglas Wakiihuri marathon. The only other Bronze medal was awarded to Kipkemboi Kimeli in 10000m.
  • 1988 would mark the last time for Kenya representing the African continent in the Olympic Games. The men's team had won gold in 1987's All Africa Games thus earning the berth. It was the end of an era for the game not just internationally but at continental level too.
  • The best Kenyan outing OVERALL not just in the number of medals but also in the spread of the medals and participants! 

• African Women's Volleyball Club Championships - Can Kenyan clubs pull it off?

  Posted: May 3, 2012, 1:48 pm by The Figure

  From 10th-19th of May, Nairobi shall play host to the 2012 African Women's Volleyball Club championships to be held at the MISC- Kasarani Gym (if renovation works at the centre finally permit...), with 2 other venues on stand-by in case of any changes. These are African Nazarene indoor volleyball court as well as Brookfield Schools' court.
  Once again Kenyan women volleyballers will have the chance to show the continent, why they are the leading proponents in the club game. This would be sweet solace after missing out on Olympic qualifications for the second time after losing out to the Algerians early this year.
  
  Kenya will be represented by 3 clubs including 2-time reigning champions Kenya Prisons, regular finalists and past winners Kenya Pipeline as well as KCB. On paper the Kenyan clubs start as favourites not just because of their regular appearances in the finals but also because of the home court advantage.
  They would also love to serve notice as to why they are still among the best in the continent. Each of these clubs have been in residential training and have recruited heavily from high schools and higher learning institutions to ensure continuity and fresh talent.
  
  The only undoing has been lack of a proper professional league in the country unlike some of the North Africans such as Algeria and Egypt. The clubs from these two countries enjoy massive corporate support as well as professionalised services in their recruitment, training and exposure too.
  The gap between the North Africans and also the West Africans is slowly closing and it better serve notice to the Kenya Volleyball Federation to raise the standards of the game locally too.
  Last week, the Kenyan men's club representatives Kenya Prisons were bundled out of the Men's Africa Club championships in the semi-finals. It has been a tough time for the male players who haven't been able to match their female counterparts both at club and national level.
  
  All in all, join us as we savour the continental game starting next Wednesday at the Kasarani gym. Wonder if any of the Kenyan media houses will choose to screen the games live...what say SuperSport with their SuperSport 9-EA?

• Zuku Slamfest...a boon for Regional Basketball

  Posted: May 2, 2012, 1:10 pm by The Figure

  As TV stations look towards sport to improving their content, Wananchi Group through their Zuku channel is adding more local content to engage and excite local (and also regional ) subscribers to their services.
  
  In a first for the game of basketball, Zuku together with Vision 21 Sports Consulting - a sports marketing firm with its offices in Dakar , Senegal as well as Nairobi, Kenya - will air "Zuku Slamfest" - tournament to be held in July 2012 at the Kasarani Gymnasium. This event targets about 8 countries and it will be a show of talent and skills in the game of basketball. The winners will take home about KSh.8.5million ( US$ 100,000).
  This is a big boon to the game of basketball seeing that FridayNightBasketball has been the buzz for the last season and going forward the Kenya Basketball Federation needs such media partners to heighten the game's reach.
  The idea is also great for local content providers who will ensure that there is variety in not just the usual sports coverage, but also in terms of well-researched documentaries and events too.
  Kudos to Zuku for seeing the sense in more local sport!
  
  Update:
  The Zuku team announced that the ZUKU SlamFest 2012 will take place from the 20th- 22nd of July 2012. There are 8 countries to participate in the tournament coming from Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and hosts Kenya. A total of 16 games will be played by these teams which shall be carefully selected by tournament organisers Vision 21.
  Wananchi Group CEO Richard Bell said that this tournament is meant to 'showcase local and regional basketball talent and skill and raise the standard of the game as well as basketball media productions'.
  Preceding the tournament will be a documentary series Passport - with a tour of the 8 participating countries and reviewing the growing culture of the basketball game in these states.
  
  Hope this is what the Doctor recommended for Kenya's basketball fledging fortunes!

• Kenyan Marathoners - Conquering the World but shall the rest of the team Emulate them?

  Posted: April 25, 2012, 12:30 pm by The Figure

  The last two years have been quite phenomenal in Kenyan athletics. This is mainly due to the ever-enduring and sterling performances by our long- distance athletes and the speciality in discussion is the longer race - the marathon.
  Running an approximate distance of 41.6 km ( 26 miles ) if you like on long routes, up some slope and down others and a usual flat course finish is no mean feat. If you have ever tried running this race, you'd know what we're talking about...maybe the next time a marathon comes near you, make a point of registering for it...start with the Nairobi StanChart one!
  

  Number 1 !

  Back to the gist of the story, so while our athletes have enjoyed unbridled success in the longer race, it has been a mixed bag of fortunes in lap races in the stadium meets...Grand Prix and others.
  One of the stickiest points is the 5000m and 10000m races especially for the men's races. Much redemption has been made by our ladies who have continued growing in stature and stamina to conquer these longest races on the lap races.
  But Athletics Kenya and the athletics fraternity in Kenya has not been able to break the jugger-naut. This is especially so, in major meets like the upcoming Olympic Games in London from July. Arguments were given and some frail explanations made about this failure which led to AK ceding control of the qualifiers for the 2 races. They've opted to host them in Prefontaine thanks to some ingenious Nike executive who's surely to mint some good brand mileage ( and maybe some $$$ too...)
  
  Maybe the AK officials are looking for the wrong places to realise the elusive success in these events. They should ask themselves;
  

  • How come the marathoners have been able to win over 75% of all major marathons around the world?
  • What techniques have they devised to be able to win with such consistency and at such paces that last year the world record in the men's race was lowered by our very own athlete?
  • What lessons can Team Kenya pick from the World Athletics team which managed double gold ( 1-2-3 for women) and (1-2 for men)  in the marathon races?
  • Do Kenyan athletes need foreign tracks to prove their worth?
  • Circa 1988 when Kenya had its best spread of medal haul from 800m to 5000m races in the men's races. What was the recipe for success then?
  • Assume they do go ahead and run both the pre-qualifiers in Kenya and the qualifiers in Prefontaine, will they not be suffering from burn-out by the time they get to London in July?

  
  These lingering thoughts ought to be food for thought for the officials charged with seeing the success of our team in this year's Olympic Games. Over to you Mr. Kiplagat and team ! ( Do we add Mr. Kip Keino & NOCK in the mix too...?) 
  
  UPDATE:
  Athletics Kenya announced the Kenyan marathoners to represent Kenya in the 2012 Olympic Games in London as follows;
  Women:
  Edna Kiplagat ( Current World Champion , women's marathon)
  Mary Keitany ( 2-time winner of London marathon)
  Priscah Jeptoo ( Silver medallist in 2011 Daegu World Athletics , women's marathon)
  
  Men:
  Abel Kirui ( 2-time World Champion marathon winner)
  Moses Mosop ( 2011 Boston Marathon winner)
  Wilson Kipsang ( 2-time Frankfurt Marathon winner & 2012 London Marathon winner)
  
  
  
  

• Elgon Cup, London Marathon, El Classico - Busy Sporting Weekend

  Posted: April 20, 2012, 8:49 pm by The Figure

  The second last weekend of April represents a nice offering for Kenyan sporting fans. What with all the rains pounding much of the country, it's a mostly indoors affair for Kenyan (save for the fact that @KenyaPower may have other ideas depending on your side of the hood...)
  This one has quite a flurry of activity and sporting events to look out for;
  
  
  
  Rugby
  

  Elgon Cup poster

  Kenya's rivalry with Uganda for the 2012 Elgon Cup is renewed tomorrow at the famous Kyadondo Grounds in Kampala. The last few haunts to that ground have not been very successful for Kenyans. The coach Mike 'Tank' Otieno has introduced quite a number of fresh players hoping to expose these to the tougher and longer version of the game ( 15-a-side). We pray for a Kenya win and wish the best in their Kyadondo outing.The game will be screened live on SuperSport.
  
  
  Football
  The local league continues with some interesting fixtures such as the AFC Leopards v/s Tusker in Mombasa, Gor Mahia v/s Ulinzi Stars in Nakuru, among others. Leopards is slowly building a gap at the top, but these are early stages and 2-3 games can quickly change what may have seemed like a sterling season. Gor Mahia will be playing their first game after the decision to discipline their fans for the fracas during the AFC v/s Gor Mahia game. There is also the #BongaBoli  follow on Twitter @BongaBoli promo seeking a Kiswahili football-caster for SuperSport as they develop content for their East African channel 9. This weekend they visit the lakeside town of Kisumu.
  Internationally there is the EPL big one Arsenal ( which enjoys quite a following around this part of the world) and Chelsea. It's the feature game on Saturday starting at 1445hours. Later in the evening is the biggest derby in club football in Spain where Barcelona faces up Real Madrid for the title race. Each of these sides came out of UEFA Champions League licking their wounds. It ought to be a cracker as Lionel Messi tries to outscore Cristiano Ronaldo - for the Pichichi Award.
  
  Athletics
  After a fairly successful outing of Kenyan marathoners last weekend in Boston, Sunday, the London marathon is back! After taking both the men's and women's title, this will be no walk in the park as the Ethiopians and also some Chinese will hoping to make the podium.
  This race will help (or further complicate...) the selection process for the Kenyan team for the Olympic Games which come back to this city in July-August later this year.
  Emmanuel Mutai will be hoping to defend his win last year but will have to give chase to 3-time winner Martin Lel, world record holder Patrick Makau and world champion Abel Kirui. A tough call to pick the winner right there!
  Mary Keitany leads the women's charge and will be given a run by one of the Dibaba sisters Ejegayehu Dibaba.
  
  Formula One
  

  Bahrain GP

  Yes this sport has developed quite a following in the country even when some of the races are in some ungodly hours of Sunday morning or evening. This weekend sees GP teams visiting the Arab state of Bahrain. The first practice session today saw Lewis Hamilton emerge tops amidst controversies and tomorrow the cars and drivers take back to the track to see who attains pole position in the starting grid.
   
  All the above action is available on the SuperSport channels for those who feel like staying indoors. If you can afford to hang out at a pal's or your local hang-out, then these too can provide you with some nice weekend action!
  
  
  

• Dennis Oliech, FKF & EABL - Get it Together People!

  Posted: April 19, 2012, 6:15 pm by The Figure

  Tusker Sponsorship stirs Harambee Stars' Nest
  
  While the remuneration saga has been going on for the last few weeks now, Dennis Oliech's retirement threat seems to have finally caught the football world's attention.  A brief history of this is that, East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) through its flagship brand  Tusker confirmed sponsorship of the national football team Harambee Stars in anticipation of the Africa Cup of Nations 2013 qualifiers and the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil....all good so far...
  

  Mariga, Oliech & Mugalia (Image that stirred the Hornet's Nest) - www.futaa.com

  As part of the agreement whose details have yet to be revealed but Harambee Stars Management Board seems to know, EABL were allegedly given rights to use the images of the national players as part of their promotional material to drive their brand communication.
  Now that's where the line becomes blurred.
  Oliech came out openly in the use of his image (along with MacDonald Mariga & Ben Mugalia) for the Tusker promotion. FKF and the Harambee Stars Management Board accused him of his lack of loyalty to the national cause and sacrificing self to play for Kenya.
  
  Players' Endorsements & Players Dues
  While some may argue that Dennis Oliech is a professional and should overlook the said endorsement fees, it calls to fore the use of Kenyan sports personalities and lack of proper remuneration and contractual commitments.
  Looking at the EABL/Tusker sponsorship, that brand generates millions in sales and even if they might not feel inclined to pay the individual players, it would be presumed to be part of the KShs. 110 million committed. Sponsorship fees made by Kenyan corporate firms are usually committed to the national teams or otherwise but most of these funds never actually trickle down to the players and if they do, its miniscule.
  Enter Football Kenya Federation, though in office for only a few months, they have not entirely endeared themselves to the national team players. Already one of the best goalkeepers in Arnold Origi announced his retirement last year after Kenya's failure to  qualify for Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. MacDonald Mariga also complained about non-committal arrangements in refund of his air-flight tickets for national team engagements. Read in interesting article here on national team players' welfare.
  If you look at the complaints they are coming from the professional players who interact with other players in the European leagues. Thus they would have an idea of what they are claiming to be their rightful dues.
  Back to FKF, we know that players have often turned up for national engagements without allowances for months on end. That a few players don't mind playing for Harambee Stars even if they're paid a pittance are supposed to be old stories.
  
  To bring this rant to a logical end,
  

  1. EABL and FKF should ensure they outline the details of the sponsorship agreement, even if they have to disclose such details as who gets what and promotional material usage etc.
  2. Also Kenyan corporate firms, it's about time you paid up a little more to our Kenyan sports personalities. 
  3. Kenyan and other corporate firms, when making any commitment to sports activities, remember at the final end the players welfare is paramount. Without this, the end consumer that you target will be a disillusioned lot and that's not what your brand(s) stand for.
  4. Its about time Kenyan football players formed a Players' Association. And if there is one then it's not doing its work. Player grievances and issues such as player contracts, players remuneration, injuries, agents' activities and all others relating to players should be addressed through a common voice. This will ensure you have a strong bond and common purpose to realising the interests of players.

• Road to Olympics - 1976 Montreal & 1980 Moscow Games Boycotts Galore...

  Posted: April 19, 2012, 5:00 pm by The Figure

  99 days to London Olympic Games, we continue with the Road to Olympics. 
  In this review , we look at the forgettable moments in Kenya's history when her sports personalities were affected by economic and geo-political reasons meaning consecutive boycotts in Montreal in 1976 and in Moscow - 1980.
  
  Montreal 1976:
  After the breach of tranquil at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, countries across the world decided to use the Games a perfect platform to prove a point or two especially where the Cold War and other political ideologies clashed.
  Montreal had seemed to have escaped this up until the opening ceremony when Congolese Jean Claude Ganga and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere among other African leaders urge African countries to leave the Games. This was in protesting a move by the New Zealand rugby team's All Blacks tour to apartheid South Africa ( even though rugby was NOT an Olympic discipline).
  Most countries had already sent in their squads and though it was a moral issue to support the boycott, this dented many a sportsmen and women who were approaching the prime or in the sunset of their careers.
  Kenya's prowess in the middle and longer distances would not be for show as athletes such as Henry Rono, (Dr). Mike Boit,  Mike Musyoki and also boxers such as Stephen Muchoki - who would never taste Olympic glory.
  There were a few highlights though that need be noted from Montreal Games;
  

  • 10-point score Nadia Comaneci - this is a feat that had never been achieved and has never been attained either. The then 14-year old Romanian ended up winning 3 gold including the prestigious All-Around which effectively put her into Olympic folklore.
  • 5 American boxers won Gold medals in their respective weights. 4 of those would turn professional and have fairly successive careers. These were Sugar Ray Leonard, brothers Leon Spinks and Michael Spinks and Leo Randolph. The fifth boxer was Howard Davis Jr - Val Baker Trophy winner in Montreal - who turned down offers to turn professional.
  • Princess Anne - member of British royalty participated as part of the Horse riding or Equestrian team. She was the ONLY one not forced to comply to a sex-test.
  • Future Japanese PM Taro Aso  took part representing Japan in shooting 
  • 92 countries took part ; 6073 athletes took part in 198 events in 23 disciplines. The drop was obvious due to the late boycotts.

  Moscow 1980
  After the boycott of the 1976 Games, though the then USSR had tried putting up a marvellous show, its invasion of Afghanistan meant another boycott led this time by USA. The Games were at the height of their propagation by Governments across the world to push their political and economic agendas. The USSR needed to prove that it could pull off a major event of this magnitude but with the other super-power USA able to pull the mat from under them, it didn't quite have the impact the Soviets wanted.
  The US held what they called the Liberty Bell Classic also referred to as ' Olympic Boycott Games'.  
  Going the Games proper though, due to the reduced number of participants it proved to have few controversies and traditional rivalries never realised. Here's a review of some of the interesting highlights;
  

  • Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter won the 5000m and 10000m - grabbing the double for the men's events. This was emulating Lasse Viren's feats in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games
  • 5259 athletes participated in 203 events for 23 sports - this represented one of the lowest figures of overall participants since 1968 in Mexico. 
  • East Europe and Communist-leaning nations were among the major winners thanks to the boycott to more capitalist states.
  • The Games had the lowest number of drug cheats since the practice was introduced in 1964 in Tokyo.
  • The closing ceremony introduced a practice of hoisting the next host city's flag and lowering the Olympic flag. 
  • This was the last time Kenya boycotted an Olympic Games 

• Boston Marathon & Rotterdam Marathon - Some Other Great Outings for Kenyan Marathoners

  Posted: April 13, 2012, 8:02 pm by The Figure

  Hoping to continue what was great year in 2011, Kenyan marathoners go at it again this weekend. Starting with the Rotterdam Marathon in the Dutch city, the Kenyans will be looking to attain better times for what will surely be a tough year for those hoping to make it to the Olympic squad. The selection of this team is already giving Athletics Kenya officials headaches.
  

  Kenyan runners in Rotterdam - www.iaaf.org

  Moses Mosop will lead Kenya's onslaught and hope to earn bragging rights in the race which is slowly becoming a launching pad for Kenyan marathoners hoping to make an impact in the bigger and 'richer' (in terms of prize money) races.  Others include Sammy Kitwara, Stephen Kibet among others. The race takes place on Sunday 15th of April.
  A day later on 16th April , marathoners streak through the streets of Boston in the Boston Marathon - one of the most pretigious marathon races in the world. This race has become a tradition for Kenyan runners and many names have been made in this US city. From the likes of Cosmas Ndeti, Moses Tanui, Ibrahim Hussein to most recent winners in Geoffrey Mutai & Robert 'Mwafrika' K. Cheruiyot, it attracts the creme de la creme of marathons across the world.
  Geoffrey Mutai is leading Kenya's challenge as Robert K. Cheruiyot dropped out due to some injury concerns.  In the women's race, Caroline Kilel will be hoping to retain her title in Boston as they launched one of Kenya's best year's in marathon racing history to become world beaters in the World Athletics championships.
  
  Wondering if any of these Kenyans will attempt the world record set last year by Patrick Makau to break mold into the Olympic Games team proper. In a week's time, the next marathon station moves to the UK in the prestigious London Marathon.

• Kenya Golf Open - Barclays gets you Teeing off

  Posted: March 26, 2012, 8:48 pm by The Figure

  Kenya's ultimate golfing experience comes to you around this time of the year. Aptly named Kenya Open, the country's most prestigious golfing tournament tees off this Thursday at the Muthaiga Golf Club.
  
  This golf forklore which has eluded many a Kenyan golfer will be sponsored by Barclays Bank Kenya hence the moniker 'Barclays Kenya Open', which committed title sponsorship till 2015. This year's tournament will be 3rd tourney ,as part of the 2012 European Challenge Tour and the ONLY African tournament featured too.
  The total prize money is (approx)KSh. 20,900,000 ( €190,000) . The tournament has gone on to produce famous golfers  such as;
  

  • Welsh golfer, Ian Woosnam - Winner 1985 ;
  • Spanish golfing legend(the late) Seve Ballestros - Winner 1978;
  • Irish golfer Christy O' Connor Jr - Winner 1990;
  • South African PGA golfer Trevor Immelmann - Winner 2000

  The European Challenge Tour website  lists 5 players to watch this weekend including
  

  • England's Chris Lloyd and Nick Dougherty;
  • South Africans' Michiel Bothma & Tyrone Ferreira; and
  • Danish Andres Harto

  For those who love taking those long walks on the greens, and hoping the skies will be as clear as have been in the last couple of months, find your way to one of Kenya's famous golf clubs, Muthaiga Golf Club starting Thursday to Sunday. They say, many a managers are golfing people so you maybe just in luck to strike a deal or two. For more info, log on to the Kenya Golf Union website here. 
  
  In Related News:
  Tiger Woods returned to the podium winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational marking his first win since September 2009 and going up the ranks to 6 position on the PGA Tour. This is ahead of the Masters scheduled for next month. Is the Tiger back or is it just a blimp on the radar?

• African Cross Country championships - Kenya to top again?

  Posted: March 16, 2012, 8:00 pm by The Figure

  Thanks to the IAAF's plan to switch the World Cross-country championships to biennial events the African athletics circuit will have its 3rd African Cross-Country championships. Confederation of African Athletics is all the more thankful for hosting one more event on its calendar.
  
  Kenya - a previous host and major powerhouse in these forms of races will once again seek to battle it out with leading African challengers in the form of Ethiopia, and more recently Algeria, Eritrea and Morocco.
  Last year the Kenyan teams in all races for men and women, both junior and senior saw the teams literally sweep all medals on offer. From individual titles of Gold, Silver and Bronze to team honours; even after sending what was 2nd-best since last year was a World Cross-Country championships year. The exception though was the failure of Ethiopia sending any of its athletes as the tightly-managed sport by the country's powers sought to shield their athletes from over-exposure.
  
  This left IAAF President Lamine Diack complaining that the event has been turned into an East African affair - thanks to Kenya's dominance - turning away athletes from West Africa ( only Nigeria was represented from the West African countries. Mr. Diack himself is Senegalese so he might be having a point right there! )
  
  36 countries have confirmed participation exceeding last year's lowly figure of 16. This will indeed ensure there is enough competition for top honours, men and women both at senior and junior levels. Some countries might want to use the meet as a warm-up to national selection for their teams to participate in the London Olympic Games later this year.
  
  Will Kenya repeat her sterling performance? Will the rest of the African states come forth and push our athletes to the limit? Can Mr. Diack's myth be broken?
  March 18th at Cape Town- South Africa will tell it all! All the best to our Kenyan representatives, make Kenya proud once again!

• AFC Leopards v/s Gor Mahia - KPL's Main Highlight this weekend

  Posted: March 16, 2012, 1:38 pm by The Figure

  Kenya's Premier League's started in earnest and this weekend the biggest derby in the country's history unfolds on Sunday at 1500hours.
  

  AFC Leopards v/s Gor Mahia in a past game - image courtesy of www.futaa.com

  
  This season though, AFC Leopards are currently the fastest kids off the blocks, having won 4 out of their first 5 matches. They had some signings in the off-season which have seen them scalping every team in their wake.
  Allan Wanga's been their starry-eyed player for the moment for AFC. He's scored  in all except one match including a delightful free-kick against Ulinzi FC in February which saw him voted by sports journalist as the Kandanda Player of the Month ( taking home trophy & 10,000 to boot). He has ably taken off the load of scoring which had been left to Mike Barasa for the better part of last season. Along with other new signings, the team seems to be gelling faster than the rest. The good tidings for Jan 'Wephukulu' Koops also seem to be pouring onto the team's fortunes as they did for the latter part of last season. Modest financial backing from sponsors as well as favourable ticket sales from match-days have seen the financials fortunes of the club stabilise in the short-term.
  Gor Mahia on the other hand have not been able to secure good results which has resulted in the sacking of its entire technical bench. The team's currently placed 14th, two places from the bottom of the table standings. With the team being bundled out of continental championship and the 'colossal' expectations of its huge fan-base, the players will have pride to fight for in this fixture. Their off-season signings have taken long to cobble up a formidable team but if they have the patience, they will be rewarded in good time.
  Last season's similar fixture saw Gor Mahia beat AFC by 3-1 only for the latter to reverse the results by 3-0 margin. As always the stakes are high for both teams { who's fans affectionately call each other shemeji - (cousins) thanks to the political alignments and geographical proximity of majority of the fans }.
  
  For you the discerning Kenyan football fan, this is surely not to be missed and if in the unlikely event you can't make it to the Nyayo National Stadium, catch the action on SuperSport 9 East Africa !
  
  Check out this blog which aggregates news about AFC Leopards team activities and games, pre-match and post-match analysis. As for Gor Mahia, this link might help too!

• Olympic Games : 1968 Kenya sees Gold !

  Posted: March 16, 2012, 11:44 am by The Figure

  After participating in 3 consecutive Olympic Games, the country was slowly yearning for better achievements and for this the country's sports personalities were well rewarded. Mexico City - Mexico was also a first of many sorts and it earned a mixed bag of fortunes.
  
  

  Mexico 1968 - image from www.olympics.org

  Let's look at the facts and figures from the Games;
  
  Figures & Results:
  

  'Speed-Cop' Kipchoge Keino - image from Rich Clarkson

  • 5556 participants from 112 countries was a marked improvement from the Tokyo Games '64;
  • 172 events were held in 20 sports disciplines;
  • Kenya participated in 4 sports disciplines - Athletics, Boxing, Hockey and Shooting;
  • Kenya was placed 14th overall, a major improvement on the 1964 Games where she placed  35th.
  • Kenya won 3 Gold namely; Kipchoge Keino-1,500m (M), Naftali Temu-10,000m and Amos Biwott-3000m steeplechase (which was to become Kenya's mainstay for any major events she participated in) ; 4 Silver; Wilson Kiprugut-800m, Kipchoge Keino-5,000m , Ben Kogo-3,000m steeplechase and the 4x400m men's team ( Daniel Rudisha, Charles Asati,Naftali Bon and Munyoro Nyamau); 2 Bronze; Naftali Temu-5,000m and Philip Waruinge -Featherweight boxing;
  • Philip Waruinge was awarded the Val Barker Trophy for the Most Outstanding boxer 'pound-for-pound', despite winning the bronze in Featherweight. He remains the only African boxer to have won the trophy to date. 
  • Kenya's Hockey team finished 8th overall, a drop from the 6th position from Tokyo Games;
  • One John Harun (Mwau) was ranked 76th in Shooting's Mixed Small -Bore Rifle, Prone 50m. (He's currently an MP in Kenya's Parliament having had an illustrious career in the Kenya Police, Interpol as well as the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission).

  Interesting Facts:
  
  

  • As quoted in an online forum, this was the first Olympic Games to have 'first large-scale incursion of politics directly in the Olympic venues'.
  • Mexico was the first developing country to host the Olympics. It was also at its 'highest altitude' ever at 2,240m (7,350 ft) a.s.l.(above sea level).
  • Tommie Smith and John Carlos - US 200m (gold & bronze winners respectively)sprinters raised their fists clothed in black gloves during the medal awards ceremony- as a symbol of protest against human rights violation to the Black populace in United States. They also asked Australia's Peter Norman to wear a badge in solidarity with them. This cost them a life ban from any future Olympic Games or IOC-related events which was a bit too harsh if you ask me...
  • Also joining in political protest was one Vera Caslavska - from former state Czechoslovakia ( now Czech & Slovak Republics after fall of communism in Eastern Europe) - her silent protest during medal awards was against Soviet invasion of the state.
  • As noted before, Mexico City has the highest altitude ever for an Olympic event at 2,240m a.s.l - some in athletics were worried about its effects on the athletes including Kenya's own 'speed cop' Kip Keino but this turned out to a blessing in disguise with record-breaking performances from some of the other events.
  • Bob Beamon (US) leapt 8.90m in the men's long jump to what would be one of athletics' most enduring world records. It still is the Olympic record.

  Sequence of Fosbury Flop - image from www.shorecrest.org

  • Dick Fosbury (US) won the high jump with the unconventional Fosbury Flop. This would eventually be adopted by most if not all high jumpers.
  • One Jacques Rogge (current IOC President) represented Belgium for the first in 3 Olympic Games appearances in yachting. 
  • John S. Akhwari(Tanzania) finished the men's marathon with a dislocated knee and this became a lasting symbol of the Olympic Games spirit - quipped here saying "my country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race, they sent me to finish the race. He is currently an Olympic Goodwill ambassador.
  • Tlateloclo massacre - this happened 10 days to the opening of the Games and almost derailed the event. 44 people were killed as students and civilians rioted against 'repressive actions and blatant violation of university autonomy' by the Mexican government. A blown-up kite was flighted during the Games with the black shadow representing a 'silent protest' by the students.
  • Drug-testing debuted to check on performance-enhancing drugs which was becoming a thorn in the flesh for amateur sports.

  All in all, the Games marked an improved performance from Kenya and many African countries as most continued enjoying their newly-found independence from their colonial masters.
  The Games had now become a major political platform for many States which knew that with the world glued to the television and other media channels, it was the perfect place to send out whatever message - be it silent, symbolic or otherwise.
  Commercialisation of sports was also at its formative stages and going into the 1970s, this would form the basis of future sports business for most if not all sporting disciplines and events.
  
  Sources:
  International Olympics Committee www.olympic.org
  National Olympic Committee-Kenya
  Britannica Encyclopedia www.britannica.com
  About.com www.about.com
  Wikipedia www.wikipedia.com

• The Bake Blog Awards 2012

  Posted: March 15, 2012, 3:57 pm by The Figure

  For you in the blogosphere in Kenya, you now have added motivation to keep your blog active. Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) announces The BAKE Blog Awards 2012 seeking " to reward exceptional bloggers and to promote content creation in Kenya" . It will also hope to reward bloggers who have posted 'consistently, have great and useful content and are creative and innovative'.
  
  Submissions were opened from 15th March (today) in 14 categories and close on 29th March. Public voting for the blogs will be opened from 10th April. There will be an Award Gala Dinner on 28th April at a venue to be announced.
  
  For those who don't know what BAKE is , it was formed last year to promote development of local content through the various topics/categories in ranging from the following 14 ; technology, business, photography, creative writing, food, agriculture, politics, general, corporate and sports(where you can vote for yours truly...). There are also regular meet-ups for BAKE members to meet fellow bloggers face-to-face every other month.
  
  This is a welcome effort after the  KenyaUnlimited-sponsored Kenya's Bloggers Webring die a slow death. It sought to award pioneering Kenyan bloggers who were quite few back in the day. Now's the numbers have grown and still growing by the day, with some becoming fully-fledged websites and others major social media sites.
  
  For more details on the BAKE Blog Awards , check this link, http://bloggers.or.ke/!

• Pamela Jelimo & Hellen Obiri - We Salute you ladies!

  Posted: March 12, 2012, 3:57 pm by The Figure

  As most sporting action had been turned to other sporting events, this weekend the World Athletics Indoor championships made sure that Kenyan sporting prowess was once again promoting the country's richness on the world stage.
  Having had a past poor record in the event, most Kenyan journos had also not put much interest into the going-ons and this blogger too had overlooked what would be a memorable Sunday for the country. Since Kenya's first gold in 1989 in Budapest, thanks to one Paul Ereng ( who also won the 1991 gold medal in the 800m), our showing has been rather dismal with a few silver sprinkled among the other 4 gold the country has won in this indoor sports event.
  

  From left, Kenyan starlets - Pamela Jelimo & Helen Obiri - image courtesy of www.nation.co.ke

  
  Thus our hopes had been somewhat tempered not just by the country's poor showing but also by the fact that the athletes representing the country in the various races have not been having an easy time in their outdoor events. This was best exemplified by Pamela Jelimo who had dropped from competition in the past two seasons due to injury and also low self-esteem after storming onto the scene in 2008 and winning everything on offer that year.
  But as they say, in sport you're only as good as your last event, two ladies in Pamela Jelimo and Hellen Obiri had their scripts to write and lead the country's slaught for places on the podium. Where their male counter-parts faltered, they picked themselves up and ensured a place for Kenya in the 2012 championships.
  Big KUDOS for your wins!
  So Athletics Kenya, can we manage a bigger squad for more honours for the indoor event? With the droves of young talent, our representation should be as all-rounded as it can be. A causory look at some of those events meant we would have been placed 2nd overall ...food for though in 2014, Sopot, Poland...

• Olympic Games : 1964 Kenya's Coming of Age...

  Posted: March 7, 2012, 12:30 pm by The Figure

  A year after becoming an independent state and also the same year it would be declared a Republic ( free from the British monarchy as it were), the country's fortunes in sport seemed to be coming of age.
  
  But before we get to Kenya's involvement, let's look at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Japan landed Asia's first Olympic Games. Around this time too the Cold War would get to some of its lowest points and this would affect the way the Games were held and both politicians and sports people would use the Games as perfect platforms to push their agendas.
  

  Wilson Kiprugut (left) - http://www.historiatletismo.blogspot.com

  
  Facts:
  

  • 5137 Athletes took part ; a drop due to a ban of countries such as South Africa, Indonesia and North Korea;
  • 21 sports and 163 events took place;
  • Kenya took part in 5 events - Athletics, Boxing, Hockey, Sailing and Shooting;
  • 1 Medal - Bronze by Wilson Kiprugut - Men's 800m - Kenya's only medal at the Games, future medallists though in Kipchoge Keino, Naftali Temu and Philip Waruinge had their fair share of exposure in Japan;
  • Kenya's men's field hockey team was placed 6th among the world's 

   Interesting Facts:
  

  • Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia won his 2nd Olympic gold medal in the marathon being the first and so far only man to achieve the feat.
  • Joe Frazier - a future profession heavyweight champion would win gold at Tokyo following in the steps of another boxing great Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay).
  • Women's Heptathlon is among the new events of the Games. 
  • Computers were used for the first time for keeping results. 
  • Improved time-keeping and scoring technologies were used cementing Japan's reconstruction and future tech-power.
  • For athletics it was also the last time the Games were run on cinder track and also fibre-glass for pole vaulters. 

  These Games would begin Kenya's rich legacy in athletics for all the games it would participate it. 
  Sources: Wikipedia

• Kenya Basketball Federation Elections - Let the will of the People prevail

  Posted: March 6, 2012, 4:00 pm by The Figure

  One of Kenya's lacklustre sports bodies the Kenya Basketball Federation is scheduled to have its elections sometime later this month. Coming from a forgettable tenure will be the current chair one Mr. Paul Otula who doubles up as a principal of a leading national school.
  Along with other officials Vice-Chair Henry Shihemi another school administrator, Vitalis Gode and Joseph Amoko, this group of officials have seen a steady decline in the sport since coming into office 4 years ago.
  While many of the sports bodies collect this and that accolade at the annual gala awards organised across the country, the Federation has not been able to put forward a show to win any accolade or have a similar award system for its very best.
  
  Poor Show
  While some may say that there have been slight improvements thanks to the Friday Night Basketball games, much remains to be seen on how it has improved the players' and indeed the game's lot.
  The concept of weekend night games is itself a noble one though KBF has not acted upon it and owned it fully resulting in more entertainment than basketball core values being upheld.
  Away from this, the Kenya Premier League which is the highest level of play of the game has not seen any competitiveness and the play-offs have continued to attract the same old teams for the longest time. Also heavy on the toll is the lack of quality sides promoted from lower rungs of the Nairobi Basketball Association ( aptly known as NBA).
  Basketball has also not been able to attract any major sponsor be it for the overall league or for some of the tournaments held across the country. While the efforts of its Marketing wing ( which coincidentally works on an ad hoc basis and is not fully empowered by the Federation). In fact one of the largest failings of the current team in office is the lack of commercial foretaste for the game's development.
  A lot of attention is played to the high school and universities leagues which are more or less sustained by extra-curricular funds paid by the students attending those institutions, so no plus for revenue for KBF. A lot of talent is wasted here and this could be moved to the clubs and teams playing at the provincial and national leagues.
  Affiliations to international bodies such as AIBA, FIBA have not been taken advantage of and this has seen little or no investment in the local game.
  Last year's participation of the ladies team at the All-Africa Games was riddled with controversy after some players being dropped and others not being paid their allowances most of which had been released by the GoK. Parliamentary Committee on Sports is currently questioning the Maputo All-Africa Games Kenyan top brass officials on this and other controversies. 
  
  Elections
  With the upcoming elections, delegates will need to consider potential officials with the following;
  

  • Commercialisation - for the longest time, we have sung this song about sports not being an amateur thing anymore and the need to commercialise it. Be it through single-sourced sponsors or partnerships with leading corporates, any sport CANNOT and WILL NOT survive without added revenues. Coca-Cola Kenya has made entreaties through the Spriteball tournaments, work something out that will deliver a win-win for both brands.
  • Media appreciation - we have seen what the media can do to such sports disciplines as football, rugby and cricket locally. Though not fully exploited, there is marked difference and the games are all the better for it. Cultivate a healthy relationship with the media and you shall live to see the fruits. We have seen the Nigerian Basketball Federation games screened on DSTv, why can't we have the same from Kenya next?
  • Full-time officials - no offense to the current officials but if they were full time officials running the sport, there would be more attention paid to it. The comforts of the other jobs make it impossible to deliver on your mandate.
  • Revamp the League - while there seems to be a semblance of a National League, the reality is far from it. If you look carefully, 80% of the teams are originally from Nairobi, with 1-2 from Mombasa and one maybe from Kisumu. With the country having 47 counties in the new disposition, change the lower rung leagues to have teams from at least half of these counties which would then qualify for the national league.
  • Better Use of Affiliation - it saddens to hear that one of African Basketball officials is a Kenyan yet we have not enjoyed much from the continental front. While it may not be his mandate to favour where he comes from, Kenyan officials can at least make an effort and challenge them to engage with the sport here.  Same goes for FIBA.

  Another concern is the use of delegates' method. This is one of Kenya's and indeed many a sports bodies weakness in electing top officials. We all know of how the delegates are put up in some nice location and 'gifts' exchanged before the D-day when they go to rubber-stump the 'chosen ones'. We hope this is not the case and that the will of the people who love and dedicate their efforts to the growth of the game.
  
  {Disclaimer: While we may have named the top officials in this post, our task is not to abuse or seek to tarnish their person in any way. The critique is purely on their mandate for the game of basketball in Kenya}

• Gor Mahia sacks entire technical team

  Posted: March 5, 2012, 8:10 pm by The Figure

  After a dismal start to the 2012 Kenya Premier League season as well as poor show in the continental challenge, Gor Mahia executive board has sacked the entire technical team led by Cameroon-born Anaba Awono.
  Taking over (on an interim basis) will be former Kenyan international Bobby Ogolla who has coached a couple of Kenyan sides including World Hope FC, assistant coach - Sofapaka and also Kenyan national team.
  Gor Mahia whose fan-base is one of the largest in the country may have contributed to the speedy sacking as the top officials seek to rescue a season which already gone awry in 3 games played thus far. They also lost the season's curtain-raiser to Tusker in the SuperSport DSTv Cup.
  Of urgency now will be to see if they can salvage a win against Mozambique's Ferraviaro in the CAF Cup qualifiers needing a 4-goal outright win. There's also the Super 8 Cup matches coming up later this week with their first game pitting them against arch-rivals AFC Leopards who're on a winning streak thus far.
  A word to might go to the fans who's expectations are way up there and who's conduct has been called to question every so often once they lose a match. Shall they rise from the ashes like the Phoenix ? Only time will tell!

• Sepp Blatter & FIFA retinue to visit Kenya ( East Africa) soon

  Posted: March 5, 2012, 4:37 pm by The Figure

  With Federation of Kenya Football having conducted a relatively smooth election to merge Football Kenya with Kenya Football Federation, FIFA powers that-be had to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new office holders. The new chair, mercurial Sam Nyamweya  managed to hold audience with FIFA President Sepp Blatter in November 2011 a few days after the elections and the latter promised to make good the new office's endorsement by paying a visit to the region with Kenya being part of the circuit visit.
  

  FIFA Pres. Sepp Blatter - image courtesy of http://dadoubd.canalblog.com/

  
  Work on another of the sites for the FIFA Goal Projects is said to start soon in the lakeside town of Kisumu. So while FIFA prepares another whistle-stop trip around Eastern Africa, we thought of a few things they ought to consider as they throw in some sun-bathing lotion, safari/khaki trousers and designer sun-glasses;
  1. FIFA Goal Project in Kenya - though this has been touted as one of the biggest FIFA projects to get football from lower levels and under-priviledged areas, in Kenya we are well below expectations. Initial work at the Kasarani Sports Centre stalled and though there is commitment from the Government to continue with the project, FKF officials have not put any structures in place to ensure the same doesn't happen in future.
  
  2. Non-partisanship  - in the past, FIFA honchos have been seen to take sides when any sort of crisis plagues the local game. This has seen the local football scene deteriorate considerably over the past 15 or so years. It doesn't help that your organisation broods no interference or nonsense from national Governments but that doesn't mean that the game should be sacrificed for a few ego bruises.
  
  3. Women's Football - while the Kenyan male counter-part has had a warm-cold representation at international circles, the women's game seems to be spurred by some form of inspiration and is fast taking root among Kenyan urban poor. Does your office have any developmental agenda for their game? They just might be what Kenyan football needs to spur it to international fame.
  

  Image courtesy of www.picturesdeposit.com

  4. Transparency - many analysts have talked and commented about the secrecy that shrouds your books and other financial statements - the jury's still out there on how transparent the overall body is run. This should not be the case for national federations. We've seen too many shady merchants running the game and getting away with it. Don't fault them, they only take orders from above ...
  
  5. Africa's agenda - beyond the voting rights that African states have enjoyed, and yes we (South Africa) did host a World Cup. What's your agenda for African football going forward? Your on-and-off tiffs with CAF top-dog Issa Hayatou have been well documented. Well ours is to hoping that in your last few years of the final term, the game of football can be of great pride to the African citizenry in the near future. Continental sports media house SuperSport has taken the initiative to develop local leagues across many African states, maybe you can take a cue from them. The resources that your organisation enjoys are enourmous and a little bite on the cherry won't hurt will it?
  
  Thus said, we hope that your visit will be worth the while and as we say in Swahili... Karibu Sana!   

• Motor-Rallying in Kenya - Motorsport gets Kenyans revving

  Posted: March 2, 2012, 5:28 pm by The Figure

  Motor-rallying in Kenya has been a sport which has had mixed fortunes in the last couple of years. After the bundling out of the Safari Rally from the World Rally Championship circuit from 2003, the country's rallying enthusiasts ( including ourselves) were in denial. It slowly dawned on the sport that there needs to be a review of sorts, the downward spiral is being arrested.
  

  Roar your Engines...image courtesy of www.motorsportkenya.com

  
  The national sports bodies for the sport MotorSport Kenya has had much of their work cut out and has managed to liaise with major corporates to ensure the sport remains relevant to the Kenyan rally fan. Indeed much kudos to the federation in the last two years which have seen Rallies taking place beyond the traditional towns and regions. Through the Kenya National Rallying Championship, this year already non-traditional rallies have seen the national circuit visit centres such as Nyeri and the forthcoming Nakuru rally. This is largely in part to KCB's sponsorship, this year alone standing at KSh. 36 million.
  While these efforts are admirable, what remains to be seen as progress in the sport is the reinstatement of the Safari Rally onto the WRC calendar of events. The Rally has been part of the Africa Rally Championship as well as Intercontinental Rally Challenge , the latter from time to time ( its erstwhile Classic version, has been held bi-annual bringing former rally drivers  and enthusiasts back to 'Africa's Rallying home').
  A number of conditions have been set out by the FIA which runs the sport internationally. These include;
  1. No Night -rallying/Shorter Rally routes - One of the biggest challenges for rallying in Kenya and indeed Africa is the terrain which makes it almost impossible to rally during the day only. It has been tried by having shorter rallies on graded roads with speedy sections in between. Due to this also, Service Centres need be aplenty to help rallying and crew members to work on their cars efficiently.
  2. Graded v/s Rough roads - Again the African terrain comes into play this time being the actual infrastructure which makes rallying a joy to watch. Though major works are being carried out on Kenyan roads, there are still many more which make it difficult for WRC teams to bring their expensive machinery here.
  3. Tax Rebates - rallying in any country is big money. WRC is even bigger money. With this comes crew, equipment, fuel among many other support services. When the WRC teams left in 2002, part of their concerns were how expensive the Rally had become. Government and relevant authorities need look into this to see how best to entice WRC rally teams back.
  4. Title Sponsor - while KCB has continually sponsored the Rally for the last many years, it would be fair to say that the amounts payable can be raised to other world rally levels. Other Kenyan and regional corporations should also look for ways to propping up the main sponsor to ensure success of the event @AccessKenya  @iWayAfrica are but some of the corporates hanging on - the Tobacco ban in sports and advertising did the sport a great disservice
  5. Fans & Security - many a times we have seen trouble spots on roads in Kenya even without rallying. The rally machines are not any easier when put on the road. This is a national problem that rallying enthusiasts have to learn and get adopted into sooner rather than than later.
  
  These are but just a few of the conditions that can be addressed to restore this great Rally. But we should not beat ourselves too hard, other popular Rallies have also been knocked out including the Corsica Rally, Cote d'Ivoire, Turkey and other rallies.
  
  In Other News:
  While checking on some information about the FIA Board, Surinder Thatthi is listed as a Tanzanian citizen. Could this be the reason the Safari Rally will always find it hard to make it back to the WRC rounds? Just asking...

• And1 Live Street Basketball 2012 coming back to Kenya...

  Posted: March 1, 2012, 1:09 pm by The Figure

  For what was a most successful tour in Africa last year, And1 Live Tour featuring some Street Basketball makes a comeback for a bigger and more intensive run across the continent. The Tour has been used by And1 merchandising company to promote the game of basketball for which this brand is heavily associated with.
  
  

  Let's do the Shuffle - And1 Live Tour 2011 - Image by Jeff Amani

  Under the theme ' No Borders, No Boundaries, All Ball' this year's Tour starts in the city of Raleigh , North Carolina on 8th March making its first African stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 15th April. Kenya has the priviledge of hosting it in 2 cities, Nairobi and Mombasa on 25th and 26th of April respectively.
  As we said last year, this form of game provides Kenya Basketball Federation a perfect pitch and curtain-raiser for enhancing basketball's growth within the urban folk in major Kenyan towns. Last year most of the top officials gave the Tour a miss, wonder what happens this year. Well, basketball fans didn't disappoint and they came one and all to cheer this entertaining form of the game.
   We shall track the updates and post them as they come.

• Rangers Football Club to Disband...

  Posted: February 29, 2012, 5:24 pm by The Figure

  It's never good to hear of budding talent and promising institutions close shop and this one on Rangers United Football Club isn't either. This club had lots of promise going into the 2011/12 season having come in as one of 3 promoted sides from the country's Nationwide League.
  
  

  Oh no....

  But their success was tempered by their then sponsors Postal Corporation of Kenya ( a most notorious Corporation for building sports teams and players only to bail out on them at the hour of need, check the hockey and volleyball ladies teams).
  Their last season was a tough one for the team surviving on handouts even as its officials went round the corporate world with an enviable record and promising start to the season. This was short-lived with the team barely scraping through to avoid relegation.According to Press reports, the current Football Kenya Federation, Sam Nyamweya is rumoured to have bankrolled the club's salaries and wages to players and management. (Unconfirmed sources also tell us that the team had secured a corporate sponsor who had agreed to part with about KSh. 30 million and which they offered 10% of last season to help the team secure their place in the Premier League...)
  Its chairman Yobes Ondieki Ongeri is reported to have given up on securing financial support hence throwing the gauntlet on the team's hopes.
  Of urgency is how KPL will address the issue to ensure either the club receives emergency funds to be able to make it through the league or seek alternative representation since the fixtures including Rangers had already been scheduled.
  
  It also calls to enquiry the financial health of other clubs which might have similar if not worse ramifications. Last year at least a 1/3 of the League's teams had this or that issue with players' salaries, lack of transport to honour fixtures and management wages. What happens to the SuperSport TV revenues pledged? What measures do Kenyan football clubs have to ensure longevity and survival of their clubs? Is the success of a few clubs blinding us to see what is the real situation on Kenyan club football? 
  
  Your work is cut out for you, KPL honchos!

• Olympic Games : 1960 Kenya's Second Appearance

  Posted: February 22, 2012, 12:00 pm by The Figure

  Kenya’s slowly cements her place in Olympic History1960 – Rome Olympic Games Starting with the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome- Italy, Kenya inched closer to making statements at the Summer Games. This was under 4 years to the country’s independence and the local populace was rising to national patriotism to see that the country gets its place in the family of states across the world. By the next Games, the country will have talent that's matured and taking the world by storm.
  

  1960 Olympic Games

  Globally the world was slowly coming to the realisation of the need for a new world order as the ‘wind of change’ swept across the African continent with colonies earning their new found independence. Politically and economically there were few controversies and crisis which meant the Games proceeded with no boycotts for the first time in a long while.
  Facts:

  • 83 countries took part ( though they would have been 84 had Surinam’s sole athlete not withdrawn)
  • 5350 participants, a swell by over 2000 from the 1956 Games (4738 men & 612 women);
  • Kenya participated in 4 sporting disciplines, 13 events once again – athletics, hockey, sailing and shooting
  • 27 participants from Kenya all men.
  • Dismal show with only Nyandoro Maiyoro making it to 5000m final to place 6^th

  This would be the last time that Kenya NEVER won a single medal in the Olympics. 
  Interesting Facts:

  • One of Kenya's budding talents in Athletics in Kenya, Seraphino Antao was one of the participants but didn't quite make a mark. 
  • Abebe Bikila announced Ethiopia's & indeed Eastern Africa's entry into Olympic mythology by winning the marathon  barefoot.
  • One Cassius Marcellus Clay, later to be known Muhammad Ali wins the light heavyweight title preparing the way for global stage of arguably the world's biggest boxing fighter.
  • South Africa makes its last appearance in the Games thanks to the adoption of their oppressive regime rule of apartheid.

  Cassius Clay ( now Muhammad Ali in 1960 Rome) - image courtesy of www.americanheritage1.com

  • TV Broadcasts rights are sold to CBS for screening in the United States, paving the way for what would become lucrative business for the IOC later ( of selling media screening rights).

  Other Facts around 1960:

  • The Space Race between the US and USSR ( now mainly Russia) started in earnest and would culminate with man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
  • US voters brought in charismatic Irish origin John. F. Kennedy - the only Catholic faith US president up until then.
  • The Pill was introduced to the masses and much to the relieve of many females especially in the developed world.

  • UK Prime Minister Harold McMillan delivers the Wind of Change speech in British colonies of Ghana's and South Africa's Parliament ( funny that the latter state enforced minority rule while the rest of Africa was getting liberated around the same time...)

  These Olympic Games would serve as the least controversial of the 1960s decade which was riddled with all sorts of cultural evolutions, revolutions in countries and continents as well as major economic and political challenges that would in turn interfere with sport. 
  

  
  
  

• Olympic Games : Journey from the Past - 1956 Kenya Debuts

  Posted: February 15, 2012, 7:41 pm by The Figure

  As promised in the last post, we shall start a series of posts tracing our country's journey in Olympics Games since our début in 1956. We shall welcome any comments, views and also critique for us to make worth your while reading. Here we go;
  Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} Kenya’s First Appearance in the Olympic Games
  
  
  

  Souvenir Programme Cover for 1956 Melbourne Olympics - www.oldreprints.com

  The modern Olympic Games had been ongoing for 60 years after the return of the same adopted from the Greek civilisation before Christ. With the world’s nations having recovered from the World War II, there was a feel-good factor going around the world at that time – though the Cold War was starting to threaten world peace with USSR ( Soviet Union) invading Hungary leading to Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland boycotting , while Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon boycotted the Games over the Suez Canal. China also protested Taiwan’s recognition and boycotted too.
  

  LIFE Magazine - Dec 1956 - image courtesy of www.2neatmagazines.com

  On the other hand, more African states ( most though still under the colonial rulers mainly British) made their debut including Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda and of course Kenya. Other seasoned African states in the form of Egypt and South Africa also were at the Melbourne city. An issue of the northern and southern hemisphere arose threatening major boycotts since the weather in the Southern hemisphere is warmer during the latter part of the year as opposed to traditional mid-year when most Summer Olympic Games are held. There was also the issue of equine quarantine which led to equestrian (horse) events being moved to Stockholm, Sweden.
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  Interesting Facts:

  • 67 countries in total attended the Games
  • 3194 participants including 2824 men and 370 women)
  • 18 sporting disciplines were competed against ( though all Equestrian events were held in Stockholm)
  • 145 events were conducted
  • The Games were opened by  His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh – Prince Philip ( since Australia still recognises the British monarchy)
  • Kenya had 25 participants in 4 sports disciplines – 24 men and 1 woman. She was represented in the 4 disciplines which included; athletics, hockey, shooting and swimming.

  Nyandika Maiyoro - image courtesy of www.gusii.com

  Finalists in their respective events included; -          Nyandika Maiyoro – Athletics  5000m – 7^th place -          Arap Sam Kanuti – Athletics Marathon – 31^st position -          Joseph Lerease – High Jump – 18^th position
  Fun Fact: One enthusiast sports fan by the name of Barry Larkin made a fake Olympic torch and apparently managed to fool the mayor of Sydney.
  Other Sporting news in the World - 1956:
  Rocky Marciano - undisputed heavyweight champion retires from boxing undefeated. 
  
  

• GodSpeed to Kenya women's volleyball team for 2012 Olympics qualifiers

  Posted: January 31, 2012, 4:23 pm by The Figure

  Having to endure some unfavourable training conditions and also seeing a change in the technical bench, the Kenyan national women volleyball's team is headed for Algeria for the 2012 Olympic qualifiers with the winners getting the sole ticket for representing the continent.
  It might not be an easy call given the short stint the team held as training preparations for the mini-tournament. Seeing as Algeria and the northern hemisphere are currently having chilly weather conditions while the team trained in the heat of the tropics and to make it worse at times even on an outdoor court.
  
  Unresolved issues between Kenya Volleyball Federation and the Sports Stadia Management Board meant the team had to make do with interruptions from the preferred indoor gymnasium at Kasarani. It is ironic that KVF has not found sustainable and consistent financial assistance even with its chair one, Jeremiah Kioni having been elevated to VP- CAVB - the continental volleyball body as well as sterling performances from top Kenyan sides.
  This is also the first major outing for the new-look technical team which comprises of coach Justine Kigwari, assistant Sammy Mulinge and trainer Japheth Munala. This will prove if they have what it takes to make sure the team qualifies for the Games we last featured in 2004....(also wonder, how come 15-20 years on Kenya has no substantive woman tactician in volleyball especially at national level, over to you ladies)
  
  All in all, we wish our ladies the best in conquering hosts Algeria, Egypt and Seychelles in the 3-day event!

• National Lottery - Part of the Solution or Problem?

  Posted: January 31, 2012, 3:19 pm by The Figure

  For the longest time, the idea of a National Lottery has been floated to help national sports committees to secure additional funds for preparing those teams out to represent the country in regional, continental and international circles.
  Such initiatives have been done in more developed economies like the UK's The National Lottery or even the Nigerian one National Sports Lottery which was plagued by controversy after listing in Nigeria's Lagos stock market.Lottery Balls- image courtesy of www.lotterywinningstrategies.org
  
  These initiatives are usually done with the best of intentions but at times the role of these bodies becomes more intrusive than helpful to the development of sport. As noted in the Nigerian case, corruption and non-payments to creditors and winners may result in hurting the sports industry.
  Others have said that lotteries are some form of 'legitimatised gambling' which milk out low earning people in the economic strata.
  Well the jury's out there on what role and how this would portend for the Kenyan situation. But while the Government dilly-dallys with this process, there's already a private company undertaking this ( Gaming International). Here's an interesting piece on Gaming International's operations in Kenya.

• London 2012 Olympics - Are we Ready?

  Posted: January 31, 2012, 2:14 pm by The Figure

  This year's main sporting event the Olympics is starting to get much coverage and it is bound to get busier as we approach the July -August date. Kenya's National Olympic Committee was reported as starting some semblance of arrangements to prepare respective disciplines for the Games.
  But this is far from the reality and the first month of 2012 is gone. Save for the women's volleyball team which was pitching camp at Kasarani and Nyayo stadium ( depending on which facility the SSMB would allow them to use), most of the other sporting disciplines are yet to start any formal camp.
  Realistically the disciplines we might be represented in are Athletics, Swimming, Volleyball, Rowing and Boxing with the latter two engaged in leadership squabbles. Those which might bring in any form of medals are 2-3 but if the right preparations and technical expertise is employed 4 of these should reap some medals.
  For the longest time, Kenyan teams preparing for international events have been under-training and the respective sports management bodies engaged in leadership squabbles, often involving financial help given to those in the team and also to secure freebies to such events.
  The Government though pledging and putting in the necessary financial assistance and attractive bonuses, has not sought more transparency and accountability from the respective sports bodies.
  It is tragic that the innocent sports people are the ones who suffer for the 'sins' of their superiors. While teams like Britain have been having their athletes holding their camp in the Kenyan Rift Valley, we have yet to get the camp of our national athletes even those who might not make it. Our sources tell us the Kenyan swimmers led by Jason Dunford, are hard at training and should pull a suprise amidst the traditional powers in the pool.
  Boxing and Rowing we're still gathering information though not much is forthcoming from the respective national officials.
  
  The Government of Kenya's busy working on other 'national issues' though promises have been made to avail at least half of the around KSh. 400 million required to send the team to London. other bodies such as Brand Kenya are tagging along to seek to sell the country as a worthy national brand not just with the traditional forms of tourism - game watching, beaches but also sports tourism.
  GoK also formed a National Steering Committee to look into preparations of the London team and source for the reminder of the funds. This is an arduous task by any means. We also have the yet-to-be launched National Lottery...
  
  146 days and counting...

• 2014 World Cup in Brazil...one step at a time...

  Posted: November 11, 2011, 5:37 pm by The Figure

  Kenya's baby steps to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil starts in the next few hours. Yes we have a new 'sheriff' in town by the name of one Sam Nyamweya, yes the form-book tells us that we shall make it to Group qualifying stages and yes we also have a 'new coach' to boot...
  Well, given the haphazard we have managed our football affairs, we have the PERFECT opportunity to paint a new picture and write history all over again.
  
  FACT: No Eastern Africa has ever been represented in this global festival of sport. We would love to give all excuses and we also know the reasons but we can't afford that now.
  
  FACT: In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, (CAF) Africa zone East African states performed so dismally landing the bottom-places for those that were in the Group stages. Kenya finished with 3 points (eventual Group B winners were Nigeria with 12) while Rwanda had 2 ( Algeria won Group C with 13 points) and Sudan had 1 point (Group D's winner Ghana had 13).
  
  FACT: There will be 52 countries fighting for 5 places. Of course with Africa's 'dismal' performance, the extra 6th place which had been granted (thanks to South Africa hosting the tournament) seems not to be so urgent to FIFA's powers. What are our chances?
  
  FACT: Kenya has had a different coach/team manager since 1995. Some of course come back in but there has never been any taking charge of the job for more than 12 months consecutively. Not that we are even close to their achievements, Germany has had 10 managers since 1928 2 years before the World Cup started...
  
  We could go on & on but that brief record speaks volumes...as you start your journey Harambee Stars boys, go out & show us the miracles CAN & DO happen!

• Government of Kenya Pay-out - Great but more needs to be done...

  Posted: November 11, 2011, 3:51 pm by The Figure

  Yesterday the Government of Kenya (GoK if you like) hosted sporting contingents that represented the country in the various sporting events ( All-Africa Games held in Maputo-Mozambique; World Athletics Championships held in Daegu- South Korea as well as Youth Commonwealth Games at the Isle of Man).
  On card was the (un)official handing back of flags handed to the team captains by the Head of State. The more significant part was the handing out of bonuses which had been promised to medal winners of these events.
  This has been a laudable feat by the GoK since they initiated this a few years ago. Mr. Pres, though went on to make 'pronouncements' where we shall put them (GoK) into task;
  

  • 47 stadiums - this one is quite ambitious and laughable to say the least. While we seek to develop sports development at the lower levels, this is one area we have not been successful. Look at the existing infrastructure and it paints a sorry state. We do not have proper steps to develop and maintain grounds, sporting clubs and related facilities. We have also not done a good job to providing incentive to private entrepreneurs to encourage investment in the same. We have not safeguarded what would be some major sporting grounds such as has been seen in Nakuru's Afraha stadium, Nyeri's Ruringu stadium, to name but a few.
    

  So Mr. President, please check again, this might be paying lip-service to sport.
  

  • Bidding and Hosting International events - in the last 20 years we have managed to host some good international events. But if you look carefully, EXCEPT for the All-Africa Games in 1987, the rest have been more or less single discipline events; the most recent Africa Athletics Championships last year in August. Most of these have also been for less than a week going if we look at time spent within our borders. That informs our lack of facilities for hosting fairly large teams of participants. Sample this, if we bid for the next Commonwealth Games, where would you host the contingents of over 40 countries? Can our infrastructure withstand added pressures of the visitors ( traffic especially)?

  We need to stop making populist statements just for the sake and carefully look into seeing to it we develop sports centres which can support modest numbers of visiting and local sporting enthusiasts...learn a thing or two from Munich's Olympic Stadium.
  

  • Sports Lottery - this is another of the proposed developments which is included in the work-in-progress, yet-to-be-tabled Sports Bill. Another noble idea that seeks to raise funds for competing teams to major sports events such as the Olympic Games. We have a big one in 2012 in London ( which also coincides with the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee...see the significance?). Given Kenyans' love for lottery and such like activities, this is a process that needs to be done with proper audits and openness to avoid the fraud that plagues such processes. It would become another major flop if any undue influence and inconsistencies are detected.

  Mr. President, this is the part where you ought to admonish the Minister for Youth & Sports asking him where the 'hell' the Sports Bill is. Your term in office is slowly edging to its sunset & what better way for the youth and sporting talent to remember you than a Bill recognising their worth and contribution as well as formalising sports development in the country?
  

  • Sports Fund - though it might seem unrelated, I would wish to add this to your plate for consideration. Why? Well we have seen many a sporting talent blossom in their short-stints or even in their fairly modest careers only to fall into hard times once they are in retirement. Some have fallen off to the need of rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol abuse. Well such a Fund would be set aside to lump an athlete's part-winnings and bonuses almost like the retirement funds and one can access these in their later lives. It will go a long way in inculcating a culture of saving in our current generation which is out to spend every single cent in sight.

  Mr. President, once again, consult with your worthy economic advisors and the retired both current and soon-to-be would be in awe of you for remembering their fate.
  
  Over to you, GoK!

• Kenya Women's Volleyball...can this be the turning point?

  Posted: October 18, 2011, 6:23 pm by The Figure

  
  After bowing out of the World Volleyball Club championships, the Kenyan club Kenya Prisons proved why women's volleyball in the country needs a new page. The team led by David Lung'aho who doubled up as national team coach until last week's appointment of Paul Bitok, lost all its matches in the tourney.The women's game has been at its best on the regional and continental circles but on the global stage we are the whipping bags of other teams. It would not be fair to say that the game has stalled but what seems to ail the ladies on international duty?First, we have to put it to the technical expertise available. With the national team technical bench coming from local clubs, it is almost certain that most have not much exposure on the game's smaller more scientific procedures. A few years back Kenya Volleyball Federation has sought to invest in the Japanese expertise but we haven't had much headway with that.
  Secondly the local league cannot be said to be truly competitive to make for suitable hunting grounds for clubs in Europe and Asia. A few players have left but come back even before the season closes seeing the tough training regime exercised in those leagues.
  Thirdly, investment in the game by the Kenya Volleyball Federation. Just like most of the sports organisations in Kenya, very little amount of monies have been set aside for grounds and training centres for the game's growth. It is embarrassing that even for continental championships held in August, the KVF had to request private institutions to host the games ( true the Kasarani gymnasium is under repair but is that the only venue worth writing home about...?)
  In November Kenya returns to the international scene with another slot at the World Cup to be held in Japan. For now, the remedial measures would be to ensure the ladies remain in camp as long as possible and receive rigorous training under their technical charges.
  Going forward though, KVF needs to impress upon the Kenyan Government and well-heeled corporate firms of its worth. They can borrow a leaf from Kenya Rugby Union which has seen many a corporate put some amount into the local game. As we start the new system of governance through counties in the country, it will be interesting which ones pick up investment in sports facilities such as is with volleyball courts among others.For international expertise, KVF can forward requests to FIVB who can aid in seeking and upon secondment, recommend the necessary personnel for this. This of course would also need some funds since most technical expertise is not cheap.
  That way we shall be turning a new page in the game of volleyball that has been among the consistent ones in performance by our ladies.
  In Other News:The women's team at the CAVB Continental Cup - Zonal phase held Lome, Togo secured a place in next year's Continental Cup to be held in June 2012. Kudos to you for learning your ropes fast and taking the game to your opponents. Ours is to pray your efforts will be rewarded and shining Kenya's light across the world. 2016 you ought to be on the sunny beaches of Brazil !
  

• Kenyan Football - Of Elections, KPL & Cup of Nations qualifiers

  Posted: September 29, 2011, 2:34 pm by The Figure

  
  The disconnect in the Kenyan football game has been playing on the scene for the better part of this week. Here are some of our pickings and thoughts about the same;Elections Finally?
  First the Interim Elections Board (IEB) confirmed receiving FIFA's funds around $ 100,000 with the Kenyan Government also footing the balance with an almost equivalent amount of slightly over $ 100,000 ( cash and in kind from Kenya corporate organisations). This was after the Interim Independent Elections Commission ( IIEC) had forwarded their budget for conducting the long-awaited polls. These must be the most expensive polls conducted by any sports body in the country.
  That FIFA asked the Kenyan Government to foot their part of the bill should now mean that FIFA should allow the Government and by extension the Kenyan people to 'own the game' more. These polls would have come a long time ago and sorted the Kenyan football game if we had the wherewithal to reprimand corrupt and inept sports officials like the circus we've had with FKL and KFF. And it is revealed the interest the game generates not just from officials both legit and those with selfish interests. The corporate world has also been waiting in the wings to come on board and sprinkle the game with some goodies.
  KPL Fixtures & Disciplinary Action
  It is true that the 2011 Premier League as run by KPL has been an interesting proposition and the evidence from the buzz the games have generated is there for all to see. The teams have also been enjoying favourable and growing fan-bases for their players and on and off pitch antics. The screening of the games too has helped make this one of the best up and coming leagues in the continent.But a few concerns here for KPL, there has been an inconsistent approach to the making of fixtures. The most scandalous was the Ulinzi FC games where the team had taken the East African (in Burundi) and World Military Games ( in Brazil) representing the COUNTRY. Instead of moving their games, the KPL docked them 6 points and this was after raising genuine reasons for the same.Reverse this and take to the disciplinary side, we have seen some teams get of too easy with little or no reprimand even after their fans continue raising security concerns for the teams, referees and general public. Gor Mahia is the biggest culprit here and their fans have been involved in more than one altercation since the season started.
  We have a grudge match of the same with AFC Leopards coming up and though both teams officials are assuring fans of their security, what we saw after they drew last weekend doesn't make one feel too safe after all. Carry bare essentials I would say...If the KPL officials are to be seen to be above board, such minuscule but significant decisions NEED be taken if we're to retain order and discipline in our game now and in future.
  Kenya v/s Uganda 8th October in Namboole
  This is a significant fixture in Kenya's national team's assignments and if we shall hope to challenge for continental honours in 2013. But quickly back to KPL, why would you fix major games a week or so to the game? It is true you are running a league where a select few of the players are picked from for national duty. But it puts our boys at cross-purpose when the game at national and international level is not given the importance it deserves. Many of the players are proud to wear the national colours but not when they know it might not earn them any win or prestige among their peers.Back the Oct 8 fixture, we have seen a flurry of activity as we try to equal what Ugandan fans showed us last year in the first game for the Cup of Nations qualifiers. Kenyan politicians and media houses have been asking Kenyans to get their travel bags, fancy red t-shirts to quite literally 'paint Kampala and Nelson Mandela Stadium red'. Where's the FKL or KFF in all this? Uganda's football body FUFA managed to lobby politicians and companies to bankroll fans coming to Nairobi last year and most Kenyan fans were stunned at the sheer numbers and the seemingly better co-ordinated fans from our erstwhile neighbours.We know you're busy strategising for the upcoming elections and maybe the finances don't look so good after the postponement of elections 3 times. Maybe you can pull a few strings and endear yourselves to the discerning Kenyan fans and delegates. But this is another major failure by football officials from Kenya to promote and try to get fans to rally behind their national team. We need a football association that cares NOT about how well their pockets are lined but one which serves to promote our kind of game within and across the borders.CECAFA is back with us in November, what shall Harambee Stars have to show for it?
  

• Kenya Rugby 7s Circuit....do we have the pedigree?

  Posted: September 26, 2011, 3:55 pm by The Figure

  With the 4th round (Kabeberi Sevens) of a 5 rounds of the Kenya Rugby 7s series over at RFUEA yesterday, the Kenya Rugby Union officials and technical team for the national 7s team are almost set on who makes the cut.
  There being a change in the Kenya Rugby Union to accommodate changes in the Safari 7s tournament among other major tournaments in the rugby calendar, it will be interesting to see how the players are able to adjust and pick themselves up from last year's dismal performance at the IRB Sevens World Series circuit.
  
  A lot has changed since the close of the season early this year, from a team of new officials to the new management team along with corporate sponsorships making positive entreaties to the game.
  
  A provisional squad was named by new coach Mitch Ocholla and includes;
  
  Dennis Muhanji, Kevin Keegan, Naftali Bondo, Nick Barasa, Patrice Agunda, Sydney Ashioya, Victor Oduor, William Ambaka(Quins); Collins Injera,Dennis Ombachi,Horace Otieno,Humphrey Khayange, LavinAsego, Mike Agevi ( Mwamba); Adrian Opondo, Felix Ayange, Michael Wanjala, Tony Onyango ( Strathmore); Andrew Amonde, Fabian Olando, Philip Wamae (KCB); Kennedy Moseti, Oscar Ayodi ( Homeboyz), Lawrence Buyachi, Peter Ocholla (Impala); Edwin Makori, Oscar Ouma (Nakuru); and Ben Nyambu, Charles Kanyi (Nondies).
  
  New call-ups include Mike Agevi who completes a 3rd of the 3 rugby brothers Kayange and Injera , Adrian Opondo and Michael Wanjala of university outfit Strathmore which has been playing some of its best rugby among higher learning institutions and challenging the big boys too. It was also coached by Mitch Ocholla before his current new post.
  
  It will be interesting to see how these players fare in the final 7s tournament in Mombasa at the Driftwood Sevens and how soon they can gel to be able to retain the Safari Sevens sponsored by Safaricom. It will be a good start to their IRB 7s calendar as we seek to get back to the top 6 7s playing nations.
  
  IN OTHER NEWS:
  During last week's announcement by Safaricom 7s of their sponsorships of the Safari Sevens, the Kenya Rugby Union Chair had the pleasure ( tongue-in-cheek...tsk, tsk, tsk) of the shift from the traditional RFUEA Grounds along Ngong Road to the Nyayo National Stadium known more for its footballing and athletics hosting than rugby.
  This was not too much of a suprise given the venue hosted the Kenya v/s Zimbabwe Victoria Cup game earlier this year.
  The Kenyan social media critiques went into overdrive and even launched a Facebook page The Home for Kenyan Rugby is RFUEA not Nyayo . The merits given for the move was to demystify the game and make it more appealing to the common man. It was because the RFUEA Grounds have been stretched in the last couple of years with a bulging crowd which makes it a logistical nightmare.
  The KRU Chair also added that if Safari Sevens is to challenge for consideration to be added in the IRB Sevens World Series calendar, there is need for a proper venue and the sampling is to be done at Nyayo Stadium.
  We made a little more scrapping and we learnt these are the figures at current IRB 7s circuit venues;
  
  1. Gold Coast 7s: - Skilled Park (formerly Robina Stadium) : 27,400 seater
  2. Dubai 7s :- The Sevens (stadium) : 50,000 seater
  3. South Africa 7s :- Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium : 48,000
  4. Wellington 7s:- Westpac Trust Stadium: 36,000
  5. US 7s :- Sam Boyd Stadium: 36,800 expandable to 40,000
  6. Hong Kong 7s :- Hong Kong Stadium: 40,000
  7. Japan 7s :- Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium : 27,188
  8. Edinburgh 7s :-Murrayfiedl Stadium: 67,130
  9. England/London 7s: - Twickenham Stadium: 82,000
  
  If you look at all those venues, the lowest is at 27,188 in Japan where the game is taking root just like Kenya. Most of these are designed for multi-purposes hosting more than just rugby, with 5 specifically designed to host rugby games. Hope this helps KRU in its decision to approach infrastructural developers from private and Government circles.

• Patrick Makau rips Berlin & Marathon World Record too

  Posted: September 26, 2011, 3:30 pm by The Figure

  After making his intent known last year at the Berlin Marathon, Patrick Makau came back yesterday and obliterated the field which included more fancied Haile Gebreselassie , smashing the world record in the process by a whole 21 seconds( finishing at 2hr 03 min 38secs).
  
  
  We applaud his exploits and this shows the pedigree that Kenya has on the longest athletic event. Being one of the events on the World Marathon Majors (WMM), it will be even better if one of the Kenyans were to emulate last year's winner the late Samuel Wanjiru - fitting tribute to this great runner whose career was cut short earlier this year.
  The current ranking for the WMM has Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai leading the pack with 55 points amassed from his win at Boston Marathon and 2nd place in last year's Berlin Marathon ( and also led Kenya at the IAAF World Cross-Country championships and won the Bogota Half-Marathon). There are 6 other Kenyans in the top 10 but the title for WMM Marathoner of the Year is clearly between Mutai and Makau.
  
  NOTES:
  While we applauded the winning of the race by the Kenyans in Berlin, it has become the norm for media-houses and print media to start shouting the prize money that the individuals shall collect. It is all good an informative but let's not shine too much spotlight on such trappings. We all know what happened with the Samuel Wanjiru. These sport personalities now become the focus of unwanted attention and fraudsters to boot.
  
  Haile Gebreselassie's loss also shows the toll the road races usually have on many an athlete. It will be imperative for the authorities at Athletics Kenya to manage our talents to ensure that if we're to have track and road specialists; each sticks to their specialisation. Road-running is known to wreck havoc on the knees and ankles. Ask Paul Tergat, Charles Kamathi and now Haile Gebreselassie.
  
  All the same, let's celebrate the win one more time!

• What IAAF can teach FIFA

  Posted: September 7, 2011, 8:05 pm by The Figure

  Coming after a successful World Championships at Daegu - South Korea, the world athletics body IAAF, can offer a lesson or two to the football world's governing body. Though IAAF is not as big as the monolith that FIFA is, these two bodies run their respective independent disciplines overseeing what the national associations undertake among others. While one is more or less an individual sport, the other is a team sport with slightly more challenges in its running and management.
  
  What can FIFA learn:
  - Any sport federation/association is larger than a single individual - while FIFA has focused much of its day-to-day running to one individual or set of people, this has meant the focus has almost become more about the individual than the sport. It is true that the President ( oh how they love these titles) becomes the global ambassador of the sport but his word should not be law and the secrecy with which some his day-to-day management practices are only add more questions than there are answers.
  In the IAAF, they have managed to demystify the organisation and no single individual is all-towering, all-powerful to overshadow it.
  
  - Commercialise but don't be greedy - the level at which each of the sport operates have been succesful largely due to the adoption of commercial aspects in the 1970s (for FIFA) and 1980s (for IAAF). These have seen the organisations stage some of the most successful events in recent across the world to varied audiences all the while meant to appeal to a wider global audience. But this commercialisation should NOT be on over-kill. Sample this, over the last 2 World Cups, FIFA has made profits much to the chagrin of the host nations who are left with infrastructure that they either don't need or use and much-maligned governments who go all out to deliver the goods but neglect their citizenry. IAAF on the other hand has seen most of its events held with modest budgets and less of a strain to most of the host nations. This is from the World Cross-Country to the World Athletics Championships.
  
  - Do not micro-manage national federations , and they should be open to dissolution or otherwise - FIFA's national bodies across the world run like semi-autonomous bodies with little interference from the national governments of the day. This maybe a boon or a bad idea from whichever side you want to view it. Classic case, look at Kenya. We have a vibrant football culture but the game is almost dead at national level. Compare that with their athletics counterparts...most of this is repeated in other developing economies.
  
  - Where there is smoke , there is fire - corruption claims have almost always riddled sport and both disciplines are no exception. But while FIFA dithers and seeks to bury their dirt under the carpet, IAAF has dealt with such claims rather swiftly. Once a claim is made of a corrupt official, they are asked to step aside with little or no fuss. Look at the ruckus that accompanied the departure of football officials in the names of Jack Warner and Mohammed bin Hamamm for FIFA? And you can be sure this is not the last you are hearing of either...
  
  With these few tid-bits, sports associations should know that sport is universal and while commercial interests have pervaded most sporting disciplines, let's not forget to enjoy running the sport for the greater good of those who participate and earn from it. The world should be entertained and wowed by sport NOT turned off and wondering what might have happened.

• Kshs. 110million for Harambee Stars - Too Little Too Late?

  Posted: September 7, 2011, 7:31 pm by The Figure

  The sceptics in us always bring out the other side of the story. We applaud the efforts the Government through the Harambee Stars Management Board is engaging in. Yesterday they managed to secure KShs. 110 million 3-year sponsorship if the Premier is to be believed from the EABL - one of the region's most profitable companies.
  (Image courtesy of www.cafepress.com)
  
  All good thus far, but why did we have to wait till when we're hanging on the edge of the cliff where the national team is threatened with elimination from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)?
  Well, one can argue that our football authorities (or non-existence of the same) have never had any agenda for the national team. The dismal crowd that showed up for the Kenya v/s Guinea Bissau game is clear testimony ( the crowd watching the KPL's Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards attracted almost three times the number...).
  

  • OK post 2012, we have the 2013 AFCON to think about. This was occasioned by the concern that having this continental championship along with the World Cup in the same year sort of drains the players from the continent who have to play for their national teams. The whole commercialisation aspect for FIFA also played into the hands of CAF officials having not option than to change this to an odd year tournament.
  • Thus the 2014 World Cup qualifiers come into play too.
  • Such stop-gap measures that we have often adopted for the national team need be a thing of the past. Does it have to take Government officials to rescue the team when we ought to have a federation pitching their case to the Kenyan corporate firms?
  • We have a shirt deal which was never made public and the ever-changing colour of the strip makes such a hard-buy for fans willing to don these during national team fixtures. Shouldn't it be considered as one of the revenue streams for the national team kitty?
  • Can we also engage a full-time national coach? Not that we're against Zedekiah Otieno but managing one of the top ( and more demanding) teams in the KPL and the national team is no walk in the park. Having Musa Otieno as an assistant coach was a smart move but can we transition fast and either give him the job or decide to recruit a proper tactician for Harambee Stars?
  • We may also need to decide who runs the national team, the Management Board, KPL or FKL...whichever body feels sufficiently able should be left to handle the team with little interference.

  All we shall be doing is ruing missed chances which we ought to have taken from the word go. Let's hope our boys came find the magic to outplay and outmanoeuvre Uganda Cranes at their hunting backyard. After October let's compare notes...
  
  {Talking of which when the HELL are the Kenyan Football Elections??? We're tired of shifting goal-posts, changing dates to suit some candidates and all those shenanigans...have a bad feeling about the whole process or the charade that it might be}

• Daegu is Done....Bring On Maputo !!!

  Posted: September 5, 2011, 12:28 pm by The Figure

  
  The last 10 days or so have seen Kenya placed firmly among top nations and its has been a class act from our athletes. After giving a modest review which we guess among other things lifted their performance, we applaud their efforts and take a bow for it. The 13th Edition of the World Athletics Championships are truly memorable.
  
  The performance speaks for itself, 7 Gold ( & 2 team titles for Marathon), 5 Silver & 4 Bronze. {Our review had the total medal tally at 4 Gold 5 Silver and 8 Bronze; with 2 of the Gold correctly predicted for 800m & 3000m men's steeplechase}.
  What's even more uplifting is the fact that women almost matched the men's performance with one Vivian Cheruiyot taking the 5000m & 10000m double. The marathoners both men and women made it a successful start and end to the championships. They took individual and team titles much to the delight of the South Korean fans who seemed to have a soft spot for us. The added incentives of bonuses from event sponsors, Toyota and TDK as well as the Government of Kenya's promise to handsomely reward our sports personalities seems to inspire them to greater heights.
  While this has been the best outing in the World Athletics Championships since their inauguration in 1983, we have now set the bar for future athletes starting with the more immediate All Africa Games in Maputo where we shall have the juniors in athletics and other sporting disciplines represented. These should set the stage for what ought to be a memorable 2012 Olympic Games in London where as a former colony of the British we ought to give a good show of what or how far our sporting prowess has come. Shall we live up to the expectations? We shall be watching....
  
  SportsKenya's Best Performer Overall (& Women's Performer):
  Vivian Cheruiyot (Gold) - Women's 5000m & 10000m:- Winning two long distance gold medals in one championships is the stuff legends are made of. You're a true Africa running Queen. Maybe next time we have such an outing, Kenya should have a lady as the team captain...huh?
  
  Best Men's Performer:
  Abel Kirui (Gold) - Men's Marathon :- Another sterling performance and retaining back-to-back world titles in the race. All this and beating the 2nd placed Kenyan by a whole 3min.
  
  Best Men's Young Performer:
  Asbel Kiprop (Gold) - Men's 1500m:- After making amends from previous major championships including the last World Athletics c'ships in Berlin, it was about time, this future legend got his own and the country's gold.
  
  Best Women Young Performer:
  Milcah Chemos (Bronze) - Women's 3000m steeplechase - though the favourite for the gold, this young lady was beaten to 3rd place but her potent is there to see and it shall be interesting to see how she holds up by next year's Olympics.
  
  
  
  Best Team Performance:
  Women's Marathon : The ladies set the pace for all the other gold medallists by opening the Games on a high taking 1-2-3 and thus getting the team title for the marathon. They even had one of the best sporting fair play moves by waiting up on one of their own as she fell at a watering area. True heroes if you ask.
  

• World Athletics in Daegu - Kenya's Chances

  Posted: August 22, 2011, 6:26 pm by The Figure

  
  
  
  The 13th and so far largest World Athletics Championships starts in Daegu( the country's 'greenest city')- South Korea in 5 days. Kenya as one of the athletics powerhouse is expected its largest contingent. But as we'd know size does not always matter as other countries have been easily eroding the chances our athletes have of reaping more medals.Image courtesy of www.IAAF.org
  
  Ethiopia is by far the largest threat in the middle and longer distance races especially with the return of our nemesis, Kenenisa Bekele. We also have the Ugandan-born middle distance runners who gave Kenyans a scare during the Commonwealth Games.
  We shall look at the chances that our athletes have as follows;
  MEN:
  800m ( Prediction:Gold & Silver)
  Unless they pick injuries , David Rudisha and Alfred Kirwa are the athletes to beat in this 2-lap race. Having broken the world record last season twice in less than week and enjoying an unbeaten season so far in the Grand Prix, Rudisha has been setting the pace for this in the last 1 year. After Usain Bolt, he's athletics other easily recognisable and biggest name in the last 2 years. Kirwa might also sneak in for a silver.
  
  1500m ( Gold & Bronze)
  The race will most likely be between Silas Kiplagat and Asbel Kiprop. The latter has often gone against grain much to the coaches chagrin and thus lost races he would have easily won. But world supremacy is beckoning and what better stage than this to prove it. Kiprop for gold & Kiplagat for bronze.
  
  3000m Steeplechase ( Gold, Silver & Bronze) Kenya's preserve in major sporting functions, it will not about who will win but rather how they shall be placed. Sample this, two Olympic gold medallists and African winners as well as fastest time this season in the race? The bet is on Brimin Kipruto take the tape. Will Mateelong stop playing second fiddle to Kemboi & Kipruto? Let's see...
  
  5000m ( Silver)
  This is where the Ethiopians have taken on us with a vengeance. With Kenenisa Bekele, it is noteworthy that he's not coming back to get warmed up but to show he still has some gas left in those nifty heels. This is his easily his gold with his worthy opponent Eliud Kipchoge finally bowing out of World Championships with a silver. He will have to beat former champ & Kenyan born US athlete Bernard Lagat & Somali-origin GB's athlete Mo Farah.
  
  10000m ( Bronze)
  This is another race that has eluded the Kenyans in the last 3 World C'ships and this time it is not any different. The Ethiopians shall either prop Kenenisa Bekele to his 2nd gold or Silesh Sihine will get his first gold ( remember he was second to Bekele in the 2007 c'ships...). Tadesse from Eritrea is also expected to chase the pack but on this one, he gets the silver.
  
  Marathon ( Silver)
  Having lost Kenya's (and may arguably the best marathoner) in the form of Samuel Wanjiru earlier this year, the Kenyan brothers will need to dig deep to challenge for this. Abel Kirui who is the reigning champ might not have the same spikes like he did last time. Ethiopia's G. Gebremariam is our main prospect for the gold. This is usually the last race of the championships .
  
  4 x 400m( Bronze)
  Hoping the team is not disqualified like they have been in major athletics events, this team will pull an upset and place 2nd or 3rd in this speciality. Riding on a succesful wave in the continental championships and Commonwealth Games last year and anchored by Mark Mutai, its about time our men emulated the 1972 Munich Games brothers ( which included David Rudisha's dad Daniel Rudisha).
  
  
  WOMEN
  800m ( Gold )
  Janeth Jepkosgei will be looking over her shoulder to beat Caster Semenya. With the absence of Pamela Jelimo was the phenomenon in 2008 again misses the World Championships due to injury. The battle is between Janeth & Caster both former winners of this race.
  
  1500m ( Bronze)
  This is a very modest prediction and yes we do love our sisters but Ethiopian-born Bahraini Maryam Yusuf Jamal looks to make it 3-out-of-3. Nancy Lagat might be on that podium but not for the gold.
  3000m steeplechase (Gold & Bronze)
  We thought the ladies run a shorter race in the Olympics and Commonwealth but there is the likelihood the ladies would love to emulate their brothers and come home with the prize. Milcah Chemos is looking all ready to conquer the world, let's see who joins her on the podium.
  
  5000m ( Silver)
  Vivian Cheruiyot the reigning champ and having the world's leading time will be trying to prove a point and give a run of the Ethiopian's money. Meseret Defar and Genzebe Dibaba shall be chasing her down the tracks and one of them shall reign supreme.
  
  10000m ( Bronze)
  The Ethiopian threat shall be back again and Linet Masai shall be trying to get back her own but again we shall not be up to the pace of these ladies. Melkamu is itching for revenge and we shall see her in her best colours.
  
  Marathon ( Bronze)
  Another disappointing outing it will be and maybe just maybe we shall come back with a bronze. Wondering aloud where Catherine Ndereba is, we shall nominate Edna Kiplagat or Irene Kosgei.
  
  In earnest we hope these predictions turn out NOT TO BE TRUE but then again it is just WISHES.
  The added incentive for the athletes from the TDK and Toyota who are the main sponsors (among others) of these championships is that the winners and those placed 2nd to 8th shall be rewarded. The scheme is as follows;
  
  Individuals:
  
  a) Gold - US$ 60,000
  b) Silver- US$ 30,000
  c) Bronze - US$ 20,000
  World Record breakers entitled to US$ 100,000
  {4th-15,000; 5th-10,000; 6th-6000; 7th-5000; 8th-4,000}
  
  
  Relays (Teams):
  a) Gold - US$ 80,000
  b) Silver - US$40,000
  c) Bronze - US$ 20,000
  {4th-16,000; 5th-12,000; 6th-8,000; 7th-6,000; 8th-4,000}
  Marathon (Teams):
  a) Gold - US$ 20,000
  b) Silver - US$16,000
  c) Bronze - US$ 12,000
  {4th-10,000; 5th-8,000; 6th-6,000}
  
  You can see more detailed previews of the Daegu Championships here and also follow the races live here . Or follow their Twitter handle @daegu2011org .
  
  
  
  

• 2011 Women's Africa Nations Championship - Nairobi welcomes Continental Challenge

  Posted: August 20, 2011, 9:24 pm by The Figure

  
  Kenya's place as the continent's one of biggest success in volleyball is without a doubt. That endorsement is seen in the current club and nation's ranking among the best in the women's game of volleyball.
  It is thus Kenya's team to lose as they host the Africa's Nations Championship for the next few days ending on the 23rd of August. Due to the repairs taking place at the Kasarani sports stadia and also the need to have these games played in an indoor facility, Kenya Volleyball Association sought the private institutions at African Nazarene University and Brookhouse School to host the games divided into 2 pools.Image courtesy of www.sportsnewsarena.com
  
  The games were necessitated by the need to get Africa's representatives in the Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} FIVB World Cup in November 2011 ( Kenya has represented Africa 5 other times with 2010 being the most recent, albeit to some poor showing). Some of the teams will also use the championships to prepare for the All- Africa Games which start in September in Maputo.
  The pools are divided into;
  Pool A: Cameroon,Egypt,Kenya and Nigeria
  Pool B: Algeria,Botswana,Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia
  
  Saturday represented Day 3 of the games. Front-runners for the finals are already positioning themselves with Kenya hoping to retain its pole position. Stiff opposition comes in the form of Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and Tunisia.
  We wish the ladies team all the best as David Lung'aho's charges look to retain their title as Africa's Queens. Led by captain Brackcides Agala and seeing seasoned hands such as Janet Wanja making a comeback, it is without doubt Kenya's championship to lose.
  
  For more regular updates check these links, www.sportsnewsarena OR www.cavb.org
  
  

• Mariga secures loan move to La Liga

  Posted: August 20, 2011, 9:10 pm by The Figure

  After spending another season on the bench and making brief appearances as a substitute, McDonald Mariga’s prised a move to one of the world’s more prestigious and open leagues in Spain’s Primera Division ( or La Liga ). It has been a rather frustrating season soon after playing the UEFA Champions League semi-final as a late substitute for Inter Milan and winning 4 cups ( UEFA Champs League, Scudetto , Coppa Italia and FIFA World Club Cup). Mourinho’s move and subsequent arrival of Rafael Benitez saw Mariga’s active play diminish making only 21 appearances for the club.
  

  With the loan move to Real Sociedad, it will be interesting if Philippe Montanier will be willing to grant him more playing time and make his a worthy trip across to a more temperate country. Playing in the League with some of the current world’s biggest names in Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and even managing to play in the same team with another loanee Carlos Vela from Arsenal would be any player’s dream.

  Tis our prayer that with more playing time, he shall not disappoint...

  Did You Know?

  • Real Sociedad was one of the few to beat Barcelona last season 2-1 in April 2011.
  • Famous names (both former and current) from this team include, Spain’s Xabi Alonso and Mexico’s Carlos Vela

• Kenya Basketball dribbles Friday Games as Celebrities light up Basketball Night

  Posted: August 10, 2011, 4:43 pm by The Figure

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  Last weekend at the Nyayo National Stadium – Basketball Gym, Nairobians were treated to another of the Friday Basketball Games that Kenya Basketball Federation has been holding since the 2011 season started. Working with the Code Red DJ – under its CodeRed Basketball tag and majorly assisted by one Peter Kiganya, the games had the added flavour of a curtain-raiser game of what was billed as the Celebrities v/s Referees game; who included Jalang’o, Big Ted, DJ Stylez, Shaffie Weru,Nonini, Daddy Owen among others up against an old but hard-fighting REFEREES team that included Juma Kent, David Maina, Kennedy Banda, Erick Omondi, Coach Goro and some experienced coaches in the Premier League.

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  This particular game against the referees turned out to being the ‘main thrill’ of the night, even though there was the real All-Star game which had KBF’s Premier League’s best players pitted against each other in a East-West version of the more established NBA league in the US. Before all this had other curtain-raiser activities which included the shooting, dances and other forms of entertainment to keep the crowd on its feet on a chilly Friday evening.

  Strictly speaking though, if the numbers from the event are anything to go by, KBF is finally finding its feet on a situation that had seen die-hard basketball fans seek alternative forms of entertainment. Filling in a gymnasium on a typical weekend has been a real struggle for the basketball officials. This season, though after consulting with entertainment specialists Code Red DJs who’s business face is one Allan Muigai (aka DJ Stylez), along with Protel Entertainment as well as Sports Stadia which manages the Nyayo National Stadium; the Friday fixtures have started changing the face of the game.

  Initially the games had major clubs such as Co-op Bank, KCB Lions, Ulinzi Warriors among the top basketball sides playing amongst themselves. Then in June the And1 detour into Nairobi-Kenya (thanks to Coca-Cola Kenya and GM Kenya), the spark that needed to light the game again happened and this has worked to the organisers’ advantage. Jumping into the bandwagon, media new-kid-on-the-block, One FM also saw an opportunity to appeal to its target market.

  Friday’s second game played in two halves ended in favor of the Referees who won 30-28 leading a close 17-16 and 13-12 in both. The game did not end without drama as expected. Big Tedd went around celebrating a basket that he had buried for close to a minute sending the crowd into an uproar while ‘Misee Jalang’o Mwenyewe’ kept the crowd on its toes constantly chasing after the ball from the opponents and making calls for passes like his team mates were not seeing him in the court. Their opponents had their share of brilliance mostly from David ‘Maish’ Maina who was outstanding during the entire game. Maina, a former player at KPA, and currently the head coach of the USIU Tigers tore his opponents with passes and shots that settled the game which had threatened to extend to overtime. Jalang’o and Big Tedd contributed two points each to their loss while Victor Okello bagged 8 points for the Referees.

  Earlier the Ladies East Side that was packed with stars like Shani Silalei and Irene Makori thrashed the West Side 68 -80. They won all but the first quarter at 13-13, 21-20, 19-6 and 14-8. Irene Makori netted 9 points for the winners. The final game that pitted the men lacked the sparks the fans expected to see from it. The West side boasting of Tiberius Menya and Dan Okwiri narrowly beat the East Side led by David Ogolla and Ligare Griffins 88-87 to carry home the winners’ trophy while the MVP award went to Arou Ramadhan Chan of the West side.

  For a Nairobi crowd which will almost always fall for the latest hype, the Friday Basketball games are slowly becoming alternative form of entertainment. It is a step in the right direction though not all is done. Just not yet...

  
  

  Our views from the Friday games have our points as follows;

  • Crowd involvement – a quick look at the crowd shows most of them are newly converted basketball fans. This is the reason most left after the curtain-raiser game of CELEBRITIES v/s REFEREES. It is also the reason most of those left couldn’t identify with the real basketball players once they came out to play. Introduce the players, hype and domesticate the crowd to know their true basketball heroes. Remember how the crowd could identify with And1 stars?
  • Time – this has to be managed better if you are to keep the fans at the gym till whatever time you may need for them to leave. Spread the entertainment bits; keep reminding fans what is coming up and the main highlight of the evening. The main game of the night starting at 2300hours??? Most people at the Nyayo gym were groping in the dark of what’s next. The celebrities even left after their game (guess they still had to run to other engagements to earn their $$$ maybe...). Same thing to the KBF officials, sad!
  • Decor/Ambience – though much of this lies with the Sports Stadia Management Board, the Nyayo Basketball gym is in need of a fresh coat of paint and warmer, striking colours. It may also need some refurbishment for its cushioned walls, rims and the lighting. The ambience of a sporting event makes a whole difference if you’re hoping to wow a crowd of such proportions. It will also add more appeal to media houses that need more colour to their sports editorial stories.
  • Media – some of the media houses either avoided the whole event for reasons best known to them or they feigned commitment as has been the story with most Kenyan media houses with regards to sports. Until SuperSport or some other international media house starts featuring the games, they’re still relegated to some weekly magazine programme which edits it so much it ends up being a speck of no use. Media houses in Kenya have a peculiar sports editorial policy so you might need to work harder to entice them there.
  • Premier League pitch - as is happening with the Kenyan football scene, you need to get the clubs to have their own distinct identity. Either consult branding experts or the respective team managers to get teams to have a followership of their own. Except for the die-hard fans, most of the fans in that gym can’t distinguish which team or who Ulinzi Warriors, Tobias Onyango or Ancette Wafula or Lomboritz are.
  • Consistency – the performance, games and style of play from the main teams needs to be at a better level. You cannot build such hype about the game, show off the skills on individual skits about dribbling, dunking or shooting then give me a below-par game. It will serve no purpose at all in the efforts of getting back that ardent basketball or sports fan.
  • Corporate sponsorship- it is hard pitching to Kenyan corporate for sports events. Keep hope alive and you could see a change in attitude. A change in attitude too is needed at the top of KBF for officials to see the commercial sense of the game. We’ve sung this tune for too long. Even with its challenges football is now millions of shillings ahead of you...Anyway you can link the Friday games with the ongoing Spriteball talent search by next month?

  Address these challenges are you’re on to a good thing. Mark your calendars people, every First Friday of the Month, make a date with Kenya’s basketball fraternity at the Nyayo National Stadium Basketball Gymnasium!

  Check some earlier posts on the Friday Basketball Games by KenyaHoops, MichezoAfrika and KenyaBuzz .

  Additional Reporting by Noel Robert

• AFC Leopards v/s Gor Mahia - Kenya's Celebrated Football Derby

  Posted: July 22, 2011, 7:46 pm by The Figure

  This football derby never ceases to excite the slightest of football enthusiast in the country. You can even ask SuperSport which bulked from the pressure of these old foes. Ironically the two teams fans have been some of more indisciplined ones in the Kenya Premier League in the 2011 season.
  Well another lingering issue was the postponement of the game twice once due to the Super 8 games and the second due to the rugby game featuring Zimbabwe and Kenya at the Nyayo National Stadium. It was also a blessing in disguise for the teams since now they both get a chance to woe their ardent fans & potential ones back to the stadiums.
  It has been a mixed bag again with both teams not performing to their bet and AFC Leopards suffering more and currently languishing in 12th position while Gor Mahia lies mid-table at 5th position. A win for Gor would place them at 3rd while a win for Leopards would jump them to 8th position.
  All the same, it will be another of the major highlights of a sporting fan's weekend. Make way to your nearest G4S centre and buy your ticket. The security concerns and the logistics in place are to ensure there is no repeat of a stampede or fracas of any kind.
  May the best team win!

• All-Africa Games 2011 - Is Kenya ready for Continental Take-over?

  Posted: July 22, 2011, 5:27 pm by The Figure

  
  
  2011 sees the start of what ought to be a busy 2 years for most sporting associations in the country. Yes we have the continental championships in the form of All-Africa Games this year being held in Maputo (official site here) starting us off. The next major sporting event is the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London - a major one since Britain are Kenya's former colonial masters...
  Back to the All-Africa Games, over the years, these Games have enjoyed or lost their glare depending on the country hosting them and again because the prestige attached to the Pan-Africa games have been eroded by more commercially lucrative sporting events for the different sporting disciplines.
  Again the secretariat that run the AAG have not been able to get the Games to be a major attraction to the continent's different states. As is often the case with most African states saying or promising one thing and actually doing another, the same has been the case with AAG. Remember that fiasco that almost became of the 4th All-Africa Games with Kenya hosting the continent 9 full years after 2 postponements?
  The current Games were handed to Mozambique after initial hosts Zambia were unable to host due to lack of funds. Even current hosts Mozambique have their own challenges with them not having a hockey pitch worth hosting international games.
  So what chance does Kenya have of topping the tables at the AAG?
  1987:
  The best performance the country has enjoyed was back in 1987 thanks of course to hosting them. That year and the build-up to the Games produced some of the best years for Kenyan sport with the national football team being a regional powerhouse & almost beating Egypt in a controversial final game ( we must remember that is the same year that Gor Mahia achieved continental supremacy in the club Africa Cup Winners Cup - Nelson Mandela Cup). The athletics team was able to hone skills that aided them in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games where we harvested 4 gold medals.
  
  
  The boxing team 'The Hit Squad' was in no nonsense moods and collected 10 out of a possible 12 gold medals and went on to produce Africa's first gold medal at the Korea Olympics thanks to the late,Robert Wangila Napunyi.
  Other success stories were the hockey team was represented Africa albeit with no win at the 1988 Olympics; a medal in tae-kwo-ndo & also the emergence of Kenya's women's volleyball from their male counterparts.
  
  2011:
  24 years later, the dynamics have changed drastically. We have the usual shenanigans of lack of funds, more corrupt sports officials and vested interests among a myriad of challenges. The Sports Ministry has announced that Kenya will be represented in 19 disciplines out of the possible 23, laudable so far. But that's almost where the good news ends.
  Of all the sporting teams, the athletics one is the only one which conducted competitive and transparent team selection. Most of the other associations are plagued by disagreements over team selection, availability of funds and officials. Take a case of the boxing team, officials are busy suspending each other, while the game has lost its place in the national sporting scene. Where the team was enjoying participation to continental and international championships such the King's Cup in Bangkok, there is no team worth talking about. The last time we sent a team to the Commonwealth Games it was some embarrassment with most of the boxers not able to keep up with modern scoring techniques and really no punching worth their gloves.
  Look at the hockey,basketball, tae-kwon-ndo teams to name but a few. Pathetic to say the least...
  The Assistant Minister of Sports announced that there would be no joy-riders on the teams going down south.
  

  • Good pronouncement but aren't you the people charged with the responsibility of securing the nation's interest for the good of our sportsmen and women?
  • Except for Athletics Kenya, Kenya Rugby Union, how are the other sporting bodies even still in existence? If not trying to give a semblance of a league, most are walking ghosts with officials out to enjoy office trappings for their own selfish gains and allowances leaving bankrupt bodies.
  • What sense is there in carrying a bloated team in the name of representation & national pride instead of a few well-selected and competitive teams which are almost certain of securing victory in their disciplines?
  • Mr. Minister Sir, even in our beloved athletics we have seen the national team selection take place only for our brothers and sisters to go falter at the continental stage after mismanagement by their agents and lack of proper training schedules. What plans do you have in place to ensure this doesn't happen?
  • You have done great to change the lot for sporting people and teams going for national representation. Great that you are committing KShs.200 million of the 300 meant for preparing the contingent to Mozambique. But do you usually insist on comprehensive reports from these assignments and do you ever act on them anyway?
  • All-Africa Games should be the breeding ground for our teams to shine on the bigger international stage at next year's Olympic Games. What is the Government doing to improve on previous performances and restore Kenya's pride on that stage?
  • We had our swimmers do a great job in Algiers in 2007, Beijing 2008 and last year in New Delhi. Do they stand a chance of winning more medals and making us even more proud in London next year?

  Answers to this questions will mean our participation in Maputo will not be another joyride and restore some pride to the country as well as ensure nurturing budding talent which is waiting in the wings. Anything short of those answers and Bwana Waziri, you shall be carrying 200 athletes and 200 officials busy on a sight-seeing trip and learning the local Portuguese dialect more than national duty.
  It's your call!
  
  Check our earlier post on 2007 All-Africa Games as well as SportsNewsArena's article on 2011 AAG.

• Moi University to offer Sports Management - Good Progress ...

  Posted: July 21, 2011, 1:32 pm by The Figure

  This is a most laudable move by one of the public universities in the country. We at SportsKenya had thought that some of the more established higher learning institutions especially the private ones would have taken a lead in this. No sweat maybe some have something in the works.
  It has also been a labour of love for sports entrepreneurs who need to hone their skill in sports business and management of this oft overlooked but lucrative industry.
  
  A causally look at sports and the business around it in Kenya and the African region, we have a serious deficiency in training of skilled people to manage sport. Suffice to say, much of the rot in sport can blamed on lack of formal structures upon which sports administrators can hone their skills in building viable sports teams, entities and ultimately brands.
  A few South African and also one Egyptian higher learning institutions have been offering these sports management courses such as UNISA, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Cairo University (the latter 2 of these having been selected to carry FIFA/CIES programme).
  Such programmes can be used to provide practical skills from retired or active sports people who can be perfect sounding boards for the budding talent that is waiting in the wings. Who wouldn't want to learn a thing or two from past heroes; Kipchoge Keino, Douglas Wakiihuri, Benjamin Ayimba, Steve Tikolo and many of our retired heroes. It can also provide a nice incubation nest for development of cutting edge products for use in sport. See what Nike has been able to do? (in any case it was borne out of an individual's zeal to succeed on the track and his institution believed in him...)
  Moi University kudos! It is a great step forward and should believe as earlier stated more higher learning institutions can take this up. Surely there is room for diversity in your programmes. We're watching...

• Mitch Ocholla IN & Ben Ayimba OUT, Kenya Rugby 7s turns new page

  Posted: July 6, 2011, 10:14 pm by The Figure

  Not entirely suprised by the breaking news and surely not the names bandied around. After a dismal 2010-11 season, the Kenya Rugby 7s team was bound to feel the heat and the first victims are the technical team. Again given the new office in Kenya Rugby Union, something(s) must give and they are turning out to be quite a number.
  Mitch Ocholla (coincidentally played in the same 7s team with Ben Ayimba in the early 2000s, see here) has been propped to take over the 'hot seat'. Having played for the national 7s team though leaving prematurely thanks to nagging injuries and previously helping develop a worthy team in the name of Strathmore University Leos; Ocholla in our humble opinion has a lot of going for him to take over.
  He also served as coach for Kenya's second string 7s team Shujaa in the last 2 years. A fair performance given the lack of playing time the team is accorded.
  Image courtesy of www.nation.co.ke
  
  True the national team has some of the biggest stars whose egos need to be checked , lack of concrete structures such as latest technical skills training regime, ample funding from the Union and corporate sponsors alike along with the campaign slogan of 'professionalising Kenyan 7s rugby'. At a micro-level, Mitch has been able to develop Strathmore rugby to a team worth challenging the big boys and this they should during the Kenya Cup and even went on to win this year's Impala Floodlights hosted by Impala RFC (which he knows all too well having played for the team too).
  The resources accorded to him and the level of management might be different but at least he seems to understand the system well. Now the KRU has to give him a free hand in setting up shop with a new outfit and his first call will be to infuse some fresh blood and commit or discard the players who might have monopolised the national team much to the detriment of their performance.
  August or thereabouts the national 7s circuit starts and the technical bench must sharpen their pencils and put down on paper what they believe will be a team worthy to take part and finish in a respectable position. The Safaricom 7s will also come up as a good test to give the team a run of challenging top sides in the IRB circuit, if Kenya manages to get some of them to attend.
  There is also the issue such as securing proper grounds for the team(s) with Unga Grounds touted to be developed to a world-class facility but that is a longer term project for KRU. Player motivation and lifting their morale will be an urgent call.
  Kenyan rugby fans must also tamper their expectations albeit in the short term but remember patience is never a virtue in most sporting disciplines.
  
  Mr. Mitch Ocholla karibu sana and your work starts NOW!
  
  For more on Ben Ayimba's departure read SportsNewsArena's interview with him here

• KCB Safari Rally 2011

  Posted: June 15, 2011, 4:15 pm by The Figure

  Yes, the Safari Rally is racing round town again! Having been edged out of the World Rally Championship circuit, the Rally has been struggling to regain some worthy status. Kenya Motorsports Federation(KMSF) has been working tirelessly to get the Rally going and this year the route has been scaled down moving to environs not too far from Nairobi - at Athi River and Kajiado.
  
  The fan-park which had previously been hosted at Uhuru Park has been moved to Jamhuri Park along Ngong Road.
  KMSF's current Chair has stated that they seek for reinstatement on the WRC by 2013 - a tough call given we're crossing to the 9th year in the cold and the rallying world has moved leaps and bounds to more technical levels and much of the excitement that Safari Rally offered would be heavily diluted.
  79 drivers have registered for this year's Rally a commendable number and we hope that the organisers are able to attract this number consistently. The current title sponsors have also been faithfully holding onto the property and hope it reaps some major coup once & if the Rally is restored to the WRC.
  Follow the Rally on this handle @motorsportkenya and we shall endeavour to give you updates too. Watch out for the cars along your route people in and around Nairobi and give way. See you in Kajiado or Athi River Saturday and Sunday!

• Normal 0 false false false EN-GB ...

  Posted: June 14, 2011, 4:48 pm by The Figure

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  Midway through the season we take another look at the Kenyan football clubs and what we could say is their modest worth. This is because most of the clubs have held their books so tightly and secretively and there is such fluidity in the financial situation that the only way we have sourced this information is through media reports and respective club websites (albeit where they provide minimal details) {NB: TV revenues and advertising revenues from SuperSport NOT accounted for, along with bonuses}

  1. AFC LEOPARDS – this is unexpected but this is helped in large by the club’s recent media deal with Smart TV which will ensure the club has dedicated media coverage from games to behind the scenes, to archived material through Ingwe TV. This makes it the first club in Kenya to have a dedicated channel comparable to European clubs. It has also launched a magazine hoping to attract advertising revenue and engage readers. There is the KShs.15 million deal with Mumias Sugar signed in February as well as the AAR health insurance deal worth KShs.1.5 million. { There is the 60 million 3-year TV deal match-day ticketing and merchandising worth about KShs.2 million}

  Estimated Worth: KShs.98.5 million

  2. GOR MAHIA FC – this is Kenya’s most successful and talked about club. It is also has quite some history though much of the aura around it is both mythical and too hyped. Landing a huge sponsorship worth KShs. 38 million just before the start of the season, the club also has the fastest selling jerseys as well as healthy match-day attendance. On average there are between 5000-10,000 fans attending each game whichever day of the week. {From 2-year sponsorship deal; average attendance of 7500 each paying KShs.100 for 30 games; along with merchandising}

  Estimated Worth: KShs. 60 million

  3. MATHARE UNITED – this club has been a darling of many corporate firms and had topped our earlier List. This is in sponsorship deals worth about KShs.30 million that the club has attracted from corporate such as Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Real Insurance among others. It also has benefactors through its chairperson Bob Munro who influences not just the club but KPL as well.

  Estimated Worth: KShs. 52.5 million

  4. SOFAPAKA FC – the season had started with much promise and the club looked headed for continental glory and the bounty that comes along with it but this ended last weekend. Having secured sponsorship from Portland Cement, the club has firmly rooted itself atop of the league and also has some following of sorts from its many fans.

  Estimated Worth: KShs. 36.75 million

  5. THIKA UNITED – it is the largest club coming from Central Kenya and has the support of milk processing firm Brookside Milk worth around KShs. 15 million. Couple this with the merchandising and other minor sponsorship deals, the club is surely among the top earners in the country.

  Estimated Worth: KShs. 30.5 million

  We shall be reviewing this at the end of the season and see what changes shall be made. By then too the relevant financial bodies and sports marketing and business agencies will have been consulted and more conclusive figures released. The future of the Kenyan football game surely has some positive developments amidst the difficulties in administration.

• Kenya Budgetary Estimates 2011-12 - What is in it for Sports?

  Posted: June 8, 2011, 9:43 pm by The Figure

  Coming at a time when the Kenyan Government is easily finding it hard to raise revenues as well as make capital expenditure, we in the sports industry have put our lot in there too. From the Budget Statement - Fiscal Year 2011-12, as presented by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, a similar token given to the development of sport in the country in 2008-9 by then Minister Amos Kimunya makes a comeback.
  
  Quoting the statement,
  "...apart from engaging in these activities, I would also like to encourage them to nurture their talents in the realm of sports. Time and time again, our young people have made this country proud by their exemplary performance in the international tournaments in various disciplines. (... all good so far)
  I believe that a clear investment in sports backed by proper management, can turn this activity, which attracts thousands of our young people into a sustainable employer. Our youth should be able to follow their dreams and establish careers in sports ( ....well put Mr. Minister Sir)
  To this end, I have allocated KShs. 210 million ( 1 million per constituency) towards competitive sports for youth countrywide. This will be used for purchase of trophies, monetary award to competing teams and compensation for officials overseeing this initiative. ( ...now you sound ambiguous Sir, which sports discipline & that amount's too measly unless you hold 1 tournament per year)
  The private companies under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets to match this amount, at least on a shilling-for-shilling basis." (...nice one throwing the challenge to private corporate firms making obscene profits but committing measly amounts to sport BUT that word CSR word just craps me out! )
  
  Not belabouring the points above, we believe there is more that the Ministry could have done to give incentive to the sports industry. Just like we have said before (and he's also quoted), sports can be an employer of many if the right investments and management are put into place.
  

  • Our infrastructure has suffered considerably and one way they can aid this is by offering tax incentives to private investors willing to build stadia, sports arenas and community centres. In fact some of the KShs.210 m should go to building of community centres, since a one-off amount is more like a quick-fix but no long term work envisioned beyond that.
  • Tax waivers should be accorded to suppliers of sports equipment too to entice clubs and communities to invest in these longer term projects.
  • Still on a longer term basis, and especially with the new dispensation having counties some options for private investment through infrastructure bonds should be pursued.
  • Allow and encourage counties and local governments to introduce various preferential measures to support the sports industry. Most of the local governments have lost control of parcels of land meant for stadia and other sports centres making it difficult to move forward.
  • Tax holiday to the winning individuals and teams across the world?
    Here's a sample of what some top officials in Nigeria are doing to entice the private companies to invest in sports.
    

  As for now, nice effort Mr. Minister, but this is to us at SportsKenya is just a drop in the ocean! What say you good people of Kenya?

• RIP Samuel Wanjiru, True Kenyan Hero

  Posted: May 16, 2011, 12:58 pm by The Figure

  Waking to morning news, the media outlets bombarded us with the sad bit of Samuel Wanjiru's passing early this morning. We shall not belabour the circumstances surrounding his death. Having been in difficult circumstances starting this year, he was in the middle of some personal crisis which seems to have ended in this tragic way.
  
  A brief window into his life show that he had become one of Kenyan's leading marathoners having secured the 2005 Most Promising Sportsman of the Year Award, having won and broken the world half-marathon record in Rotterdam. He went on to become the first Kenyan ever to win a marathon in Beijing Olympics and in the same year came 2nd in the London Marathon sending warning signals to his rivals.
  His last major exploit though was the Chicago Marathon which he won in style having run neck to neck in the last few miles with Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kedebe. Other major awards included;
  2008 Sportsman of the Year Award - Kenya
  2008 AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Award (sponsored by Asic)
  2009 London & Chicago Marathon winner
  2010 Chicago Marathon winner
  His exploits had seen him secure major sponsorship from Japan and also enjoying attendance fees of upwards of US$ 50,000- 100,000 per race. SportsKenya had ranked him as one of the top earners in sports in the year 2010 in an earlier post. Little did we know this would be our last one of him being alive.
  
  Concerns will be raised about the people surrounding him before his death and his continued
  indulgences in life's pleasures. While many a sportsman usually have problems later on in their careers, his had started pressing too soon. It should be of note to future and aspiring sports personalities that while the world loves your exploits, find it deep within you to stay grounded lest the attention and allure of the earnings, lifestyle and all that comes with it start eating up your very essence of life.
  
  Kenya has lost a young sportsman full of potential and we at SK send our sympathies to one and all. When the history books are done, it shall be noted that this young man left in the early stages of what had promised to be a talented marathoner of global status.
  
  26th Nov 1986 - 16th May 2011 RIP Samuel Kamau Wanjiru
  
  
  

• And1 Coming to Kenya...

  Posted: May 10, 2011, 1:50 pm by The Figure

  Yes, you had it right. The basketball fraternity is to welcome one of the world's leading promoters of the game albeit the more exciting and dramatic side of the game. And1 - a sports apparel & shoe company for top basketballer players both in the NBA (e.g. Stephon Marbury) and lower rung versions has been a promoter of Streetball since 1998 and has conducted successful tours in other parts of the world.Image courtesy of and1 live.com
  
  As part of a growing interest in taping into the African continent talent, the promoters have made a deliberate step into Africa and has already landed in South Africa and though initially not in the plans, Kenya and Rwanda shall be part of the tour 1st and 2nd week of June (Source: http://www.allonebasketballschool.com/)
  Sources tell us Coca-Cola Kenya is hoping to ensure the trip is a success through its Sprite brand which has for long been associated with basketball. The event shall also be in conjunction with ALSA Basketball and sanctioned and endorsed by Kenya Basketball Federation.
  1st week of June , people, mark your calendars!
  Additional info can be found on www.and1live.com

• Sofapaka - Truly Batoto ba Mungu!

  Posted: May 9, 2011, 12:57 pm by The Figure

  Finally Kenyan clubs can start smiling with Sofapaka getting into the next round of the CAF Confederations Cup. Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} This next stage represents the play-off stage before proceeding to the Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Group stages which shall be again on home-&-away basis .
  Image courtesy of www.michezoafrika.com
  
  These teams are divided into 2.Winners of each group meet in a final deciding match and the winner of this proceed to meet the winner of the CAF Champions League in the CAF Super Cup. The beauty of this stage is that there is the promise of prize money as follows;
  Winner of CAF Confed Cup : $ 625,000 for the club and $35,000 for the national association; Runner-up (Losing Finalist):$ 432,000 for club and $30,000 for national association;
  2nd placed team in each group: $ 239,000 and $25,000 respectively;
  3rd-placed team : $ 239,000 and $ 20,000;
  4th-placed team: $150,000 and $15,000.
  (Source: Wikipedia.com)
  
  This is a welcome gesture to the teams and especially so for Sofapaka whose chairman Elly Kalekwa has been quite vocal and hoping to make good of the lucky run. We wish the team well and hope they keep their fortunes in the continental challenge together. It is also welcome relief for Francis Kimanzi who's Kenya Premier League losing streak had Sofapaka diehards starting to question his tactics.

• Bamburi Super Series - More Rugby Action for your May/June Weekend

  Posted: May 5, 2011, 5:42 pm by The Figure

  Rugby in Kenya has continued to attract corporate support upon corporate support. This year it gets more interesting as there is a new office in place and so far so good. The first major event on their calendar is the Bamburi Super Series.
  
  The event is modelled around the Super Series which features teams from the biggest rugby playing countries in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa with each of the countries currently contributing 5 composite teams.
  This year's event has 8 franchises Buffaloes (sponsored by Mumias Sugar), Cheetahs (SDV Transami), Rhino (UAP), Lions, Bulls (Coastal), Sharks(Nguvu) with Rwenzori and Victoria from Uganda.
  The first leg of the games happened last Saturday with the Cheetahs winning by the biggest margin against Rwenzori 49-0 and the Ugandans in Victoria edging Buffaloes 16-5 for the lowest score of the day. The second leg comes up this Saturday and round 3 on 14th May with the semis on 21st and finals 2 weeks later on 4th June 2011.
  With the rearranged calendar of the rugby season, these are positive developments for the game especially the 15-a-side game which needs continuous build-up as Kenya hopes to replicate the fairy tale that the 7s team has had.
  
  It is hoped that franchises can up their game and live up to some interesting games , though some critics have been quick to say there's little in terms of incentive for the players thus the games have become mere formalities. This is proper picking ground for Michael 'Tank' Otieno and his 15-a-side team for the national side. Technically though, those in charge need improve on the standard of the game to make the tournament make and keep the standards expected.
  
  Do make a date with us as we make our weekend lively. You can follow live updates with @maikwambo @kenyarugbyunion @rugby360 OR @kenyanstar & yours truly @sportskenya!

• Breaking News : Kenya wins her 1st Swimming Gold medal ever in Commonwealth Games

  Posted: October 6, 2010, 7:20 pm by The Figure

  Contrary to our predictions, Kenya's swimming sensation did the country proud by winning Kenya's first gold medal in the pool by touching the wall first in the 50m butterfly. Congratulations for this and we shall keep our hopes alive for a fair medal tally this year!

• StanChart Nairobi Marathon 2010 date confirmed

  Posted: September 9, 2010, 5:42 pm by The Figure

  This year's Nairobi International marathon is on the 31st of October once again snaking its way into Nairobi City roads ( though the route has slight changes as the run takes runners into some major roads).
  
  As the launch was made, it was suggested that the sponsors and organisers look into inviting elite athletes by paying appearance fees. That's a great way of raising the event's spotlight but a lot needs to be done to ensure the local populace and marathon-running citizens continue flocking the event.

  Henry Wanyoike (Courtesy of  Henry Wanyoike Foundation)

  Marking its 8th anniversary, the organisers have a huge task of raising the more than KShs. 20 million ( approx. US$ 250,000) that usually goes the Seeing is Believing Initiative which seeks to eradicate and avoid blindness of children under the age of 9. One of their biggest scoop has been Henry Wanyoike - Kenya's most famous blind athlete to date who even featured in their latest ad (as Standard Chartered marks its 100th year of business in Kenya).The organisers have raised their target to 16,000 which is a task given last year's drop to just below 15,000 runners - as is usually the case, Kenyans and their last-minute habits of beating deadlines. Brand Kenya and Kenya Tourism Board have also been challenged to sell the country as a sports tourism destination(check this from World Sport Destination Expo too) and hope to reap from the foreign visitors visiting the country. Average figures from other major cities are usually in excess of 40-50,000 runners and even more peripheral ones in tow.
  Organisers also hope to attract media attention and secure rights to screen the run as they did last year on SuperSports. We shall be bringing you updates and again capture moments as they happen on the day. You can register for the marathon here. The fees are KShs. 1000 for individuals, 500-kids and 50,000 for corporate teams.

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes