End fights, focus on African Games

Kenya will send 290 athletes to the 12th African Games that gets underway in Rabat, Morocco from August 16 to 31. The team seeks to overhaul the 2015 mark in Brazzaville, Congo, in 2015, where we scooped 43 medals -- seven gold, 19 silver and 17 bronze medals -- to finish sixth. A lot is expected this year as the nation field teams in 21 disciplines that include athletics, archery and badminton. Unfortunately, there are complaints about player selection criteria in some disciplines. Wrangles have dogged rowing and wrestling, as well as badminton, and some of the cases have ended up at the Sports Disputes Tribunal.

The tribunal has in some of the cases directed trials be repeated, in what would interfere with preparations in some cases. We hope the cases will be sorted out as soon as possible to allow teams to prepare for the games. However, such situations --  that have become common occurrences ahead of every international event -- could have been averted. It’s high time the Ministry of Sports cracks the whip on this menace once and for all.

The Ministry of Sports, through the Sports Fund, must avoid challenges such as non-payment of allowances that has often headlined our teams at major international competitions. Remember, the competition stands out as a curtain raiser to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Performance from the showpiece will help Kenyan athletics coaches gauge their team ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships set for Doha, Qatar, on September 28 to October 6. We urge our team to, once again, fly the Kenyan flag high.