Anti-Doping Task Force report is reckless, naive

I am shocked at how reckless and naive the Moni Wekesa-led taskforce were in releasing the report into doping in Kenyan sport, not realising the implications it would have on certain disciplines.

It is shocking to read that members of the Kenya national sevens team could be taking steroids and compete in the IRB Sevens circuit.

Why would Kenya national sevens coaches Mike Friday and Paul Treu commit career suicide by making their players ingest steroids?

Not one player has tested positive in or out of competition under Friday or Treu, and the Wekesa report had better have substantial proof about their allegations or else they could be facing a hefty lawsuit from the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU), which is already facing so many issues lately.

If the report confused supplements with banned substances then they need to be taken to the cleaners by the KRU.

The Union spends a substantial part of its budget on supplements, which are such a crucial part of the team’s preparations. No world-class athlete can be competitive without supplements, which is a huge industry, and having seen the complex training program that deputy coach Felix Ochieng runs, this is not something Wekesa and company should take lightly!

Speaking to the KRU Vice Chairman Phillip Jalang’o this week, he rightly said the union feels aggrieved, as the allegations of steroid use have gone viral on the Internet and threaten to reverse the huge gains rugby has made over the last ten years.

Unless both parties clarify and clear up the allegations as a matter of urgency, the image of Kenya====n rugby internationally maybe tarnished forever.

This is the latest setback for beleaguered Treu, who must be wondering what he got himself into since he signed the contract with the Union.

However, on a positive note now that the players’ strike has been largely dealt with, he can now concentrate on trying to beef up his squad for the forthcoming Dubai 7s tournament.

There were lots of positives from Andrew Amonde’s young team at the Gold Coast, and the addition of some of the members from the core squad that were on strike should create a very exciting blend of raw youth and experience.

PIVOTAL WEEKEND KPL

This should be one of the most exciting weekends for the Kenya Premier League (KPL), with one match in particular going a long way towards determining the destiny of the title.

Machakos will feature a double header tomorrow, with the league leaders and defending champions Gor Mahia clashing with second placed Sofapaka in a match of high stakes.

A win for K’Ogalo will effectively seal the title for a second season in a row, while a victory for Sofapaka will keep their hopes alive. This has been an unspectacular Gor team this season that’s been more workmanlike than flashy with not much depth on the bench.

In the other game Mathare host Sony, with the former looking to bounce back from their loss to Gor, although a draw looks most likely.

In other matches, Chemelil play the controversial AFC Leopards whom we’ll talk about in just a moment.

Chemelil have been having upper hand over Ingwe in the last few years, and are battling for fourth place with Ulinzi, although they hold the best defensive record in the league.

Thika host Ulinzi in a game that will be very tense. Thika have not beaten Ulinzi since 2009, and the reason why tempers could be frayed is because a lot of Ulinzi players have their roots in Thika. Both teams are chasing a Top 8 slot.

In Mombasa Bandari host KCB. KCB are not quite safe and need to keep collecting points, while Bandari have had a poor season and also need to get points to stay in the league. This has led to Bandari fans taking their anger out on the team and technical bench.

In other football news, the GOtv Shield will feature a new champion. Sofapaka or Posta Rangers will win Sh2 million and play in both the Caf Cup and Nile Basin.

As for AFC, this has been a very disappointing season for a club that should be setting an example for their counterparts. Fifty percent of all hooliganism has involved Ingwe.

The premature ending of the GOtv Shield semi-final on Monday, injuries to people, damage to property and match officials attacked by their scouts has shamed the sport locally.

The match referee Davies Omweno is respected around Africa, and it’s good to know that the officials are okay and eager to return to action.

Reports from the club are that that they are not happy with the stiff punishment from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), but this is no excuse for officials and fans to take the law into their own hands, and sponsors are getting jittery about the negative publicity surrounding the club – this latest incident coming after the Sony Sugar drama.

Meanwhile Tusker have been awarded the points following the controversial ‘twelfth man’ match last weekend.

Tusker had an extra man on the pitch whilst leading 2-1 against Muhoroni, and the referee took the right action by dismissing him with no goals being scored while the offender was on the pitch.

Muhoroni refused to carry on, but the ref held out until the 90th minute leading to abandonment. FKF have since awarded the game to brewers 2 nil along with the three points.

There is also intrigue in how teams will be promoted to the KPL from the Super League. Posta Rangers have all but sewn up their slot from Zone A, while in Zone B Zoo FC of Kericho are top followed by the team who’ve benefitted the most from boardroom decisions Shabana FC and Kakamega Homeboyz.

RIP MUYA (1984-2014)

It was a tragic start to the week for Kenya sport with the passing away last weekend of international cyclist John Njoroge Muya. Muya lost his life during a stage race in the Philippines, and this was a promising life cut short, as he had only competed in the Commonwealth Games just a few weeks ago.

His racing colleague David Kinjah said the 30-year-old had plans of competing in the Tour de France, and the biggest tragedy about Muya’s death is he was leading the race overall when he collided with a car.

He leaves behind a wife and a baby boy and I would like to pass my sincere condolences to his family and his Kenyan Riders team.

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