GACHERU: Federations Urged to Step Up for Kenyan Athletes and Sports

The Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on April 17, celebrating remarkable achievements in Kenyan athletics.

This year's theme, "Honoring Women's Achievements in Athletics," fittingly captured the notable accomplishments of our female athletes and teams.

The major awards came as no surprise, with Olympic 800m gold medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi taking home the title of Sportsman of the Year, and Olympic champions in the 10,000m and 5,000m events, Beatrice Chebet, receiving the Sportswoman of the Year award for 2024.

Chebet could not be there to collect her award, making Wanyonyi the sole recipient and main speaker of the evening.

His address was entirely typical; following custom, he expressed gratitude to God for a wonderful year and acknowledged his family.

Following this were expressions of sorrow, underscoring the difficulties he and other athletes face during their training sessions.

It goes without saying that our athletes work hard to win the medals they bring back, but it’s intriguing to consider how they continue to break world records despite facing numerous obstacles.

Is it possible that these difficulties are the reasons behind the decision of Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri—the top two finishers at this past weekend’s Boston Marathon—to move their training bases to the U.S.?

When Kenyan native Winfred Yavi secured a gold medal for Bahrain during the Paris Olympics last year, many Kenyans lamented, "We are losing our talented individuals to more advanced nations."

Although these concerns are valid, they raise another issue: are our athletes surpassing what our nation can provide? Do we possess adequate infrastructure for training and top-tier facilities? To put it plainly, the answer is no.

None of the more than 50 recognized sports in Kenya boast sufficient systems, structures, and facilities to consistently produce world champions. Apart from track and field, the remaining 26 Olympic disciplines can barely hope to secure qualification spots for the Games, let alone achieve a spot on the podium—a far-off aspiration.

Nevertheless, the responsibility ultimately lies with the government and federations. It is true that the government has to address numerous requirements of us citizens, including healthcare, education, safety, and public works.

It is essential to acknowledge the government's positive intentions and financial backing in organizing significant events such as the World Rally Championship (WRC), Magical Kenya Open, and Africa Cup of Nations, along with the advancements happening in building new sports facilities.

Nowadays, unlike before, the government provides travel and allowance support for all significant championships, significantly reducing the financial strain on participants.

This shifts the responsibility for designing high-performance structures onto federations, which have reduced their role to merely assisting with travel to significant competitions, leaving athletes to manage their own training progression. This is arguably the biggest disservice to our male and female athletes.

Coaching elite athletes demands substantial financial resources. After depleting public funds on major expenses, sports federations have to explore additional funding sources to support training and mentoring programs.

In the realm of athletics, promoting such events encompasses ticket sales, broadcasting privileges, merchandising revenue, and corporate sponsorships. However, the broadcasting segment has not fully cultivated a taste for 'live' coverage yet.

Apart from Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, and Shabana, no other team or sport generates income through gate collections, limiting potential sources primarily to corporate sponsorships.

Nevertheless, federations have failed to establish themselves as reliable allies for businesses.

Rather than moving forward, these companies find themselves entangled in ongoing boardroom conflicts and subpar management practices. As a result, such issues deter possible business partnerships since collaborators aim to safeguard their own image and standing.

As I pen this, the NOCK elections initially set for April 24 have been indefinitely delayed. This postponement comes about because various member federations couldn’t reach an agreement on the voting rights.

It’s evident that the absence of proper governance frameworks within these federations stands out prominently. It’s quite regrettable that the newly appointed NOCK leaders must begin their tenure under such difficult circumstances.

Over the last eight years, Paul Tergat’s team has strived relentlessly to restore confidence and enhance the committee's reputation after the 2016 Rio Olympics controversy.

The debacle in Rio was marked by substantial mismanagement and corruption, resulting in penalties and imprisonment for multiple officials.

Even with these initiatives, the current electoral disputes will hinder the new administration, requiring them to keep tackling these image problems instead of focusing on preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Various other leagues currently have pending lawsuits over matters unrelated to the sport itself or those participating in it. Some of these organizations haven't conducted elections for upwards of half a decade.

Effective management is essential for sports organizations. In its absence, these bodies might lose important business support, critical for financial backing and growth.

Without extra financial support, federations will only be able to organize transportation for poorly ready teams to significant competitions.