www.sportskenya.blogspot.com

• 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...

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Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

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

The end of the fish cakes