Weekend Wrap

This past weekend was a busy one for yours truly. The sporting scene in Kenya or Kenyans involved was big one.


Athletics:


First up, Catherine Ndereba won the 15km road race in the Great Australian Run through Melbourne .She was not the favourite but shrugged off a 2nd place performance in the Olympics for a win and close the season on a high.


A couple of road races sponsored by different companies came alive in the Rift Valley and other parts of the country. The more famous one was Wareng Road Race sponsored by the ever-growing Tuskys Supermarkets. The 6th round of cross country races moved to Meru, one the slopes of Mt. Kenya. These road races are becoming breeding grounds for the Kenyan athletic scene. I wish the same was the case for the shorter races and sprints....Usain's going to be in town.....???


Rugby:

Photo courtesy of IRB
Our Kenyan boys started the 7s season on a high getting to the finals of the Plate at the Dubai 7s. The boys had earlier beaten Argentina and even giving New Zealanders a scare before succumbing to the Samoans who they have been grouped with for the next round in South Africa. Collins Injera emerged as the top try scorer getting 7 tries as Kenya bagged 6 points from the first round. For more on this check out http://www.rugbykenya.blogspot.com/ or http://www.irb.com/ .



Swimming:
Kenyan swimming sensation, Jason Dunford grabbed 2 gold medals in the ongoing African Swimming Championships in South Africa. Accompanied by swimmers such as Pina Ercolano, Achieng Ajulu, Rachita Shah , Jason will hope to lead the Kenyan team to a respectable position again after putting Kenya on the African map with medals in the games last held in Senegal in 2006. This should also serve as motivation and training for the 2010 Commonwealth Games which should be a precursor to the Olympics going to London in 2012.
Shukrani kwa ushindi huo ! Wakenya hoiyee !

Football:
The Kenyan Government officials led by Minister for Youth and Sports-Mrs. Helen Sambili were invited by FIFA to Zurich to plead Kenya's case. As it is there are 2 bodies (if not 3, since one morphed into something new called Football Kenya-FK). There were elections scheduled for this month which now seem to be suspended given the formation of FK. The Government has tried interfering with the sport but given FIFA autocratic ways, there is not much I expect from the deliberations with FIFA's top brass.
Along with that Ashford Mamelodi's stay in Kenya has been rather prolonged and the official was closing a workshop in Mombasa when he said that FIFA's hoping to spend at least 70 million US$ to develop football in Kenya.....I can see them licking their fingers with glee....you crooked Kenyan football officials.