Kenya needs to have long-term sports plan in place urgently

Independent Kenya first participated in the Olympic Games during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the 800 meters event. For such a young nation, this was a serious statement of intent.  

Kenya has since then evolved to become an enviable powerhouse in the middle and long-distance races that most countries with more resources and bigger population can only dream of.  Today, our country has more than one hundred and twenty medals.

Athletes from across the world come to train with our heroes who inspire millions globally.  Athletics, for Kenya, is an enviable soft power that is unrivaled, revered and envied across the globe. 

Sportsmen and women have portrayed our country in the best light possible with Kenya’s national anthem and national flag becoming a permanent fixture at the Olympics for decades. 

The athletes not only promote Kenya as a brand globally and internally, they also foster a great sense of national pride and identity. Sixty years to the just concluded Paris Olympics, it is an opportune moment to consider conducting a deep introspection. 

To review what we have achieved and how we have done thus far.  To figure out how this great national resource can be harnessed by emerging and established sectors such as tourism, cinema or even advertising.  

How can we banish the scourge of doping that continues to scar the image of genuine hard-working athletes? We must have a national plan for the next three decades that looks at all the issues afresh and recommends a new framework. 

Watching the Paris Olympics, one could not help contemplating that we could have performed better.  That we have plateaued and maybe we did not encourage our athletes enough making them seek opportunities elsewhere.

There were murmurs before our team left for Paris about corruption, which is never far from our national psyche, and favoritism in the selection process.  In previous games, there were concerns about joyriders earning better allowances and living in better hotels than athletes, kits stolen and athletes denied allowances. 

In fact, some athletes have sought to run for other countries rather than face some of these challenges. This in the grand scheme of things is not a bad thing as we have a deep groundswell of talent. It will only free space for others to rise.

Those choosing to seek opportunities elsewhere whether they are teachers, doctors or nurses should feel free to do so.  But they should not leave with a sense of opprobrium.  Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi won gold for Bahrain in women's 3000m steeplechase put things succinctly and in perspective, explaining why she chose not to run for Kenya.

First, the development blueprint, akin to the Kenya 2030 vision, should incorporate sports as a driver of economic growth, a glue that reinforces our national identity and fosters national pride.

Such a plan should be developed by a cross-section of independent experts drawn from the private sector and include both current and former athletes.

We need a professionally run sports body that puts athletes’ wellbeing, considers athletes as a national treasure and more importantly has an end-to-end support system for those who bring glory to our country.

It must create a better environment and nurture greater confidence in our sports administration setup devoid of corruption and rewards merit.  Other sectors as alluded to above will come along if there is a well-articulated plan.

Mr. Mundia is a retired United Nations staffer