African Women's Volleyball Club Championships - Can Kenyan clubs pull it off?

From 10th-19th of May, Nairobi shall play host to the 2012 African Women's Volleyball Club championships to be held at the MISC- Kasarani Gym (if renovation works at the centre finally permit...), with 2 other venues on stand-by in case of any changes. These are African Nazarene indoor volleyball court as well as Brookfield Schools' court.

Once again Kenyan women volleyballers will have the chance to show the continent, why they are the leading proponents in the club game. This would be sweet solace after missing out on Olympic qualifications for the second time after losing out to the Algerians early this year.

Kenya will be represented by 3 clubs including 2-time reigning champions Kenya Prisons, regular finalists and past winners Kenya Pipeline as well as KCB. On paper the Kenyan clubs start as favourites not just because of their regular appearances in the finals but also because of the home court advantage.
They would also love to serve notice as to why they are still among the best in the continent. Each of these clubs have been in residential training and have recruited heavily from high schools and higher learning institutions to ensure continuity and fresh talent.

The only undoing has been lack of a proper professional league in the country unlike some of the North Africans such as Algeria and Egypt. The clubs from these two countries enjoy massive corporate support as well as professionalised services in their recruitment, training and exposure too.
The gap between the North Africans and also the West Africans is slowly closing and it better serve notice to the Kenya Volleyball Federation to raise the standards of the game locally too.
Last week, the Kenyan men's club representatives Kenya Prisons were bundled out of the Men's Africa Club championships in the semi-finals. It has been a tough time for the male players who haven't been able to match their female counterparts both at club and national level.

All in all, join us as we savour the continental game starting next Wednesday at the Kasarani gym. Wonder if any of the Kenyan media houses will choose to screen the games live...what say SuperSport with their SuperSport 9-EA?

Motor-Rallying in Kenya - Motorsport gets Kenyans revving

Motor-rallying in Kenya has been a sport which has had mixed fortunes in the last couple of years. After the bundling out of the Safari Rally from the World Rally Championship circuit from 2003, the country's rallying enthusiasts ( including ourselves) were in denial. It slowly dawned on the sport that there needs to be a review of sorts, the downward spiral is being arrested.

Roar your Engines...image courtesy of www.motorsportkenya.com

The national sports bodies for the sport MotorSport Kenya has had much of their work cut out and has managed to liaise with major corporates to ensure the sport remains relevant to the Kenyan rally fan. Indeed much kudos to the federation in the last two years which have seen Rallies taking place beyond the traditional towns and regions. Through the Kenya National Rallying Championship, this year already non-traditional rallies have seen the national circuit visit centres such as Nyeri and the forthcoming Nakuru rally. This is largely in part to KCB's sponsorship, this year alone standing at KSh. 36 million.
While these efforts are admirable, what remains to be seen as progress in the sport is the reinstatement of the Safari Rally onto the WRC calendar of events. The Rally has been part of the Africa Rally Championship as well as Intercontinental Rally Challenge , the latter from time to time ( its erstwhile Classic version, has been held bi-annual bringing former rally drivers  and enthusiasts back to 'Africa's Rallying home').
A number of conditions have been set out by the FIA which runs the sport internationally. These include;
1. No Night -rallying/Shorter Rally routes - One of the biggest challenges for rallying in Kenya and indeed Africa is the terrain which makes it almost impossible to rally during the day only. It has been tried by having shorter rallies on graded roads with speedy sections in between. Due to this also, Service Centres need be aplenty to help rallying and crew members to work on their cars efficiently.
2. Graded v/s Rough roads - Again the African terrain comes into play this time being the actual infrastructure which makes rallying a joy to watch. Though major works are being carried out on Kenyan roads, there are still many more which make it difficult for WRC teams to bring their expensive machinery here.
3. Tax Rebates - rallying in any country is big money. WRC is even bigger money. With this comes crew, equipment, fuel among many other support services. When the WRC teams left in 2002, part of their concerns were how expensive the Rally had become. Government and relevant authorities need look into this to see how best to entice WRC rally teams back.
4. Title Sponsor - while KCB has continually sponsored the Rally for the last many years, it would be fair to say that the amounts payable can be raised to other world rally levels. Other Kenyan and regional corporations should also look for ways to propping up the main sponsor to ensure success of the event @AccessKenya  @iWayAfrica are but some of the corporates hanging on - the Tobacco ban in sports and advertising did the sport a great disservice
5. Fans & Security - many a times we have seen trouble spots on roads in Kenya even without rallying. The rally machines are not any easier when put on the road. This is a national problem that rallying enthusiasts have to learn and get adopted into sooner rather than than later.

These are but just a few of the conditions that can be addressed to restore this great Rally. But we should not beat ourselves too hard, other popular Rallies have also been knocked out including the Corsica Rally, Cote d'Ivoire, Turkey and other rallies.

In Other News:
While checking on some information about the FIA Board, Surinder Thatthi is listed as a Tanzanian citizen. Could this be the reason the Safari Rally will always find it hard to make it back to the WRC rounds? Just asking...

KCB Safari Rally 2011

Yes, the Safari Rally is racing round town again! Having been edged out of the World Rally Championship circuit, the Rally has been struggling to regain some worthy status. Kenya Motorsports Federation(KMSF) has been working tirelessly to get the Rally going and this year the route has been scaled down moving to environs not too far from Nairobi - at Athi River and Kajiado.

The fan-park which had previously been hosted at Uhuru Park has been moved to Jamhuri Park along Ngong Road.
KMSF's current Chair has stated that they seek for reinstatement on the WRC by 2013 - a tough call given we're crossing to the 9th year in the cold and the rallying world has moved leaps and bounds to more technical levels and much of the excitement that Safari Rally offered would be heavily diluted.
79 drivers have registered for this year's Rally a commendable number and we hope that the organisers are able to attract this number consistently. The current title sponsors have also been faithfully holding onto the property and hope it reaps some major coup once & if the Rally is restored to the WRC.
Follow the Rally on this handle @motorsportkenya and we shall endeavour to give you updates too. Watch out for the cars along your route people in and around Nairobi and give way. See you in Kajiado or Athi River Saturday and Sunday!

What will save the ailing Kenyan Basketball scene?

Kenya is easily one of the best sporting nations in the continent. But some of the disciplines are clearly putting the nation to shame. Coming as it from foreign assignments, it's a bit disheartening given that there is quite some interest for some of the sporting disciplines, only for the squabbles, demotivating practices to chase away any interested parties - be they youth talent or corporate organisations.
Patriotism v/s Exploitation
Kenya Basketball Federation, led by none other than Mr. Paul Otula. What is happening in Rwanda? Having gone for the All-African Games qualifiers, the teams (both men and women) were seen to be likely to qualify for the continental games to be held in September this year in Maputo, Mozambique.
Before leaving there was a statement made that the national teams training would not be entitled to daily allowances which are usually mandatory for players for engaging their services. For most of these players, there are no regular sources of income and such a declaration would be clearly break the morale of the team.
Getting to Rwanda and the teams do not have official kit for training and have to borrow from their hosts. Also there is no team doctor ( totally suicidal given the physical toll that the game takes on players). All over sudden all hell breaks lose and the team captains ( Ben Oluoch and Angela Luchivya) are handed an indefinite ban for allegedly pushing internal revolt and boycott from the players. From unconfirmed sources, one of the reason was that the players were getting a daily allowance of KShs.500 ( around $6.25). Even if its is patriotism, this is a pittance for national duty. Then follows a unilateral withdrawal of the Federation from the qualifiers as a way of seeking to cover the underlying issues instead of addressing them ( though the Kenya National Sports Council had to intervene and ask the teams to continue playing).
What is wrong with these sports officials? If you had no funds going into national camp, it wouldn't hurt to appeal for funds from the locals. It would also be better to clearly outline the trip's difficulties in good time in case any player wants to withdraw their participation. Clearly it's not too much to ask, but when shall you take the game to another level?

Co-op Bank v/s KCB Lions 2010, photo courtesy of www.michezoafrika.com

Disgraced Play-offs
If the end of the season was anything to go by, we are not entirely suprised by the happenings in Rwanda. The men's playoff finals were a sham. Game 3 had to be abruptly stopped with the claim that one of the team's fans (KCB Lions) were going to disrupt the game and cause physical harm to referees officiating the game. Some of the players from the two teams ( the other was regular play-off contenders Co-op Bank) are in the national team of course, this time representing national interest.

But for a Federation not able to organise its own house, it is not for the Commissioner of Sports to call them to order. There have been claims of maintaining the status quo, but even then, there is nothing much to show. How many basketball courts have they been able to build? How many teams are currently playing in the national and formerly provincial leagues? Does the Federation have a plan of what they want the game to be now, in 1 year, 5 years? Having a senior FIBA official from the continental body ( by the name of Maurice Aluanga who was once KBF Chair), what synergies has the Federation sought to build the local game?

Someone needs blow the whistle on this situation before we lose the game and it becomes a by-gone era. Anyone courageous enough to call it as it is?
You can follow the local basketball scene here, www.kenyahoops.wordpress.com 

Football Figures : Show Me The Money !!!

2010 achieved many milestones but one major highlight was a return of the local football fans to the football grounds. Traditional rivalries in the form of AFC v/s Gor and newfound ones such as Sofapaka v/s Thika United all made us stream back to the stadiums. Of course there were the unforgettable scenes at Nyayo Stadium when fans died as they waited to watch the AFC/Gor game in November.

With the local mainstream media houses also finally appreciating the Kenyan game, and creating a buzz where necessary, the numbers have started to show.
Local media monitoring house, ReelForge , owned in part by Mugo Githongo ( for those who don't know he's brother to John Githongo, former Kenyan anti-corruption czar). According to recent findings as released to the Press, Kenya Premier League (KPL) was able to attract media coverage worth KShs. 686 million ( USD 8.575 million) over the period of March - November 2010. These figures are what the media firm termed as equivalent to Advertising Value Equivalent, that is, what KPL editorial coverage would cost if it were advertising space.

Top Teams were as follows;
1. Gor Mahia -        KShs. 200 million
2. AFC Leopards - KShs. 155 million
3. Tusker FC -        KShs. 150 million

The corporate firms which also got a fair share of coverage thanks to their mentions were;
1. KCB                  KShs. 378 million
2. Safaricom           KShs. 166 million
3. Zain                    KShs.  89 million
What is suprising though is that of the major corporate firms mentioned, only KCB has actively sponsored top flight footbal consistently. Safaricom and Orange have been sponsoring youth football and regional tournaments respectively and haven't made headways into the mainstream game.
How good it would be if these figures were actually translated to tangibles and the clubs able to benefit from the same. It would also serve well for the clubs now to raise the stakes and get professional consultants to pursue corporate sponsorships - be it team, shirt or as maybe prescribed - they have such numbers to show for it.
Kenyan companies also need loosen up their purses and avoid knee-jerk approaches to investing in sports.
Coupled with the 4-year TV rights deal signed by SuperSport worth around KShs. 400 million, Kenyan clubs might finally start living it up. Hopefully this shall trickle down to the players and aid in managing the teams effectively. It would be a great pleasure to see our team move up to the levels of African Champion League participants, Enyimba, Al-Alhy, Zamalek and recent wonderboys TP Mazembe ! Is this the year for Kenyan football to finally come of age?

Have Sports/Members Clubs & grounds in Kenya lost their meaning?

A casual dip around Nairobi recently has revealed a worrying trend with regards to sports clubs and grounds. The tradition has been that for any major company - be it a public listed one, parastatal (Government-owned) or even big companies having their operations located here - most have a sports club or what some love subscribing as members' club (with more exclusivity and restrictive in enrolling).

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Given the urban developments currently plaguing our urban centres, the life of most of these clubs is slowly coming to an not-so-natural death. Where do we start? A few strides to the Kenya Railways Sports Club indicates this as one of the worst hit with developments around  it slowly being given to private developers.In recent months, the club has lost the tennis courts and is also missing the field which is playing host to some 'hireling' whose having some fun-fair for God-knows-till-when.

Sometime ago, they had even drawn some ambitious plans of developing a property - Golf City . Sweet dreams indeed ....

The club's pool also looks so depleted and is also in its final throes of closure. The only part which looks untouched is the golf park but with the road works around the Upper Hill and along Uhuru Highway encroaching, it's just a matter of time.


Cross over to Thika Road which is going into overdrive with 6-lane roads and all the hullabaloo of 'modernity' three clubs here are most likely to see their grounds chipped away. KCB Sports Club ( popularly known as The Den), Barclays Sports Club (which had almost been sold entirely by the Barclays Bank of Kenya) and Stima Club (housing Kenya Power and Lighting Co's sports club) all at Ruaraka are the main clubs affected.


Crickets ground along Forest Road has also seen quite a chip thanks to the road works being done on Thika Road. I have not even mentioned the grounds in other urban centres and the clubs which have long become vandalised and lost to neglect.


While it is good for the Government to construct and upgrade our roads, it seems sports grounds and clubs have long become viable places for taking up land and using it for other works. Very few estates in Nairobi City have grounds for children and budding talent to start nurturing their sports dreams. Some of the worst affected are the Eastlands sections - Umoja, Buruburu, Doonholm which have become 'concrete jungles'. Upmarket estates are quickly trying to emulate the other sides too and losing their leafy suburbs and the open spaces such as the grounds shall soon become all too good to miss.


Are we sure we hope to be a sporting nation with such developments going on? When was the last time we invested in a new sporting venue without seeking international aid? Shall we continue begging even as we shoot (or is it build?) ourselves? Or maybe we are hoping to build indoor arenas ? Maybe we haven't gotten that memo yet...


It breaks the spirit seeing no one is investing in physical structures to aid sport and the little that we have is either in neglect or grabbed by some greedy private developers.

More Money More Problems ?

Last week, Athletics Kenya held the National Championships which though had a low profile, were fairly successful. The organisation seems to enjoy some measure of success enough to attract corporate sponsorship-the latest being the National Bank of Kenya's Sh. 16 m deal-for the junior, youth and kids athletics programme.

According to media reports, this sports organisation had a surplus of Sh.22 m last financial year despite being the busiest association. I believe in terms of financial muscle, they command the most for local sports organisation.
But despite this, there seems to be some under-currents with the officials wrangles simmering quietly. This was brought about by the candidature and subsequent election of David Okeyo-the current Secretary General and now Vice-Chair National Olympics Committee of Kenya-NOCK. The latter is a powerful sports body in the country drawing affiliation to the International Olympics Committee which is almost any sports official's dream to manage.

The current chair runs the organisation roving like a colossus and not entertaining any dissent. Okeyo's election didn't go down well with him and has since been on a silent licking of the wounds and he tries to outdo his junior.

My concern is that these internal wars will eventually spill onto the scene when the country least expects it. We have the World Athletics Championships in August. The country has amost certainly lost the bid to host the Junior contintental championships which the association ought to have secured given the good rapport enjoyed with the Government officials.

I have said before for us to secure the interests of our sportsmen and women, we need to run these organisations more professionally and allow more transparency to occur. That way we save more than a fair share of funds committed and the country's image is secured in the same vein. Well let's see how far this goes....

Additional Information:

The AK had last year published their annual report complete with a financial report for public consumption- for the year ended 31st December 2007. This year they have scanty information on a badly developed and maintained website ( must have cost less than 150$- to develop and host).

According to media reports, they have sponsorships of Kshs.4.5m from New KCC for the national trials, sh. 4.6m from KCB for the national cross-country championships, sh. 7.5m from StanChart for the Nairobi Marathon and now the 16m from National Bank. There must be some unmentioned monies from sponsors like Nike and the IAAF grants.

Safari Rally : Low Key Start

Logo courtesy of Motorsport Kenya.

For an event which attracted thousands of fans, the sport is slowly drifting into international rallying obscurity. The event was flagged off and the rest of the city was almost unmoved.
What's even worse the cars will cover only about 700 kms ( approx 437 miles) and mainly feature runs in 'people's farms as a local driver put it in the Press today.The rally had also almost sunk due to the low interest by sponsors though the buzz came on thanks to KCB who are the title sponsors. The weather has also played its worst and a dusty rally with patches of rains dotting parts of the route.
The magic of the Safari Rally just seems gone. Even some of us were not so impressed by the spectator stage which has been a highlight for the last 4 years. Organisers had better come up with a better thing ( like 2 cars racing on the track) to make it more exciting.
They can also add a skills section just to showcase what some of the drivers can do (I remember Richard Burns doing some spins on the Argentine finishing ramp and it was worth watching)...
We also need to fully provide for the rally and let by-gones be by-gones, WRC has forgotten about us and the faster we forget them the better. We might as well have a section for our crazy matatu drivers and weekend speed-racing wannabes from well-to-do neighbourhoods. That makes more sense to us !

Safari Rally: No more European Safarians ?

This is a serious cold shoulder if ever there was one. Since reducing the Safari Rally into an African affair ( usually enjoys Africa Rallying Championship-ARC endorsement), this time emerging and regular visiting teams from European rallying teams have given it a wide berth.
Though the Intercontinental Rally Challenge(IRC) has put the rally as one its rounds, no major teams has confirmed participation, 1 week into the rally. The IRC acts a launch pad for aspiring rally drivers for the World Rally Championship the ultimate for rally drivers. It may also be said to be a test for rallies wishing to be included in the WRC circuit which crosses over different countries, across different continents testing man and machine.
For me the ultimate test still remains the Safari Rally and no matter what excuses the officials may use. It's a sad affair of things and some may say TIA !
I'll make time to reminisce of the days of yonder when the likes of Bjorn Waldegaard , Massimo 'Miki' Biasion, Carlos Sainz, Richard Burns, Lars Erick Torph, Shekhar Mehta, John Ngunjiri, Peter Shiyukah and Hannu Mikkola graced our race roads.
I'll make time for the spectator stage at Uhuru Park which has become a favourite for many a rally fan and may venture to the dusty roads of the Rift Valley later in the weekend.
KCB keep the fire alive. We won't lose the fight for the Rally back where it belongs....

Athletics: X-country's supposed to come home

For the longest time we have sung about the cross-country and how we have honed Kenyan athletics champions. From John Ngugi and the late Moses Kipkemboi to marathoner Paul Tergat along with ladies such as Susan Sirma and Tecla Loroupe, the cross-country has served a good breeding ground for our athletes.
The elusive one though has been the individual titles more so the senior men's title in the last 15 years. Kenenisa Bekele , Kenya's nemesis is not part of the team in the championships at Amman,Jordan but his younger brother Tariku Bekele moves up the rungs as he hopes to continue the Ethiopian reign whose only interruption was the Eritrean Tadesse in the low hot temperatures of Mombasa which almost killed senior Bekele.
We'll be praying for more than the team titles and the lads have nothing to hold them as the Government and corporate world has sufficiently put in place the incentives for the winners ( kudos KCB for the appreciation! )
I'll hold out for the races from my humble portable radio as I listen to satellite radio to keep me posted on the going ons in Amman. More fun for a busy weekend !

Sports and Sponsorships

As I write this, EABL has committed Kshs. 12 million for the Kenya Open Golf tournament to be held in April at the Muthaiga Golf club. Earlier this month, Safaricom committed another Kshs. 8 million to the Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Postal Corporation, Brand Kenya and DSTv added another Kshs. 0.5 million each towards sponsoring the event.
KCB continued its 5 year contract with KMSF with a bounty of Kshs. 30 million. Kenya Data Networks (KDN) will commit some Kshs. 6 million towards the local golfing scene for the events organised by Kenya Golf Union in the different clubs.
This is a positive step from Kenyan corporate companies which would have turned the other way claiming they are cost-cutting on their expenditure. I’m on the look-out for more companies which will join the queue and stand to be counted.
OK, Triton’s scandal didn’t do justice to the sponsoring companies sinking with over Kshs. 5 worth of sponsorship commitments. Internationally companies have been bailing out of sports sponsorship at an alarming rate. AIG, Vodafone, Nortel Networks are but a few of the main ones. Image courtesy of Brands of the World
What has perturbed me though is the low participation locally by companies in sports sponsorship and development of sports. Concern maybe expressed through the association officials who run the offices a backyard pawn shop. Government bureaucracy and nonchalance in some of the associations too leaves a lot to be desired.
But I believe its time companies realized there are better ways of communicating value to their targeted audience and sport is one universal way of doing this. It’s is for marketers to find ways of communicating this to different audiences. Traditional methods such as advertising are slowly becoming redundant and ambiguous. Let’s see how this unfolds in the coming months.

Motorsport in Kenya gets thumbs-up from KCB

Fresh from having bad publicity from the scandal involving one of its sponsors, Kenya Motorsport Federation got a shot in the arm with its main sponsor committing another Kshs. 90 million over the next 3 years. That goes a long way in encouraging local rally drivers who may have started having second thoughts about the sport.
Rally enthusiasts will be treated to another round of rallies and the main one of course being the Safari Rally which is included in the International Rally Championship as it hopes to make its way back to the World Rallying Championship. KMSF ought to attract some bigger fish and give a good account of itself as they organise these circuits. A few foreign competitors ought to give our local drivers a challenge and ensure the sport attracts foreign media.
As for KCB, thanks for going against the grain and remaining true to the sport. Asanteni sana !
Azar Anwar is crowned as the top driver for the season ended 2008. Find this here.

Off-season Preparations

With most leagues enjoying a break, the preparations are underway for most of sports associations and federations.
Rugby –locally will see one of the off-season tournaments the Bamburi Series next month which serves as a good curtain raiser and gauge for the various players wishing to make a mark in their respective teams. On the other hand the 7s team is well into its 3rd circuit which takes them into Wellington next month.
Basketball- most of the teams will be looking to recruit personnel for their teams. A consolation is that no team has dissolved yet, though this may happen given the decrepit conditions the game is showing in the last years. As if to add insult to injury, a number of fresh talents are being poached by American high schools and colleges. This can’t bode well since few of these ever make a contribution to the local game. After the flight, kwaheri is what we say!
KBF has not made any clear intentions of new changes in the League with the officials who were elected early last year still struggling to support the Federation in the measliest of ways.

Hockey- this is another sport having a see-saw of sorts. With elections held last yea, we can hope that the new office gives the league some stimulus. Indications are that the various tournaments ahead of the official season like the Vaisakhi tourney will making a comeback. We do hope no drama will be seen like the boycott and eventual suspension of the junior team to the continental challenge.
Football- the clubs have engaged various professionals and ‘quacks’ alike to prepare for the Kenya Premier League which starts in March. A couple have hired new coaches like the now renamed City Stars (formerly World Hope). The rivalry which existed between perennial opponents such as Leopards and Gor Mahia will be revived after promotion of the former.
Motor-rallying- the Kenya motorsport starts with concerns over sponsorships after the KCB package (worth KShs.130 million ended in 2008) and the collapse of Triton Petroleum which more or less provided fuel to most rallying teams. For an already struggling sport, this is bound to hurt more if no immediate sponsors come on board.
The Safari Rally is included in the International Rallying Championship. Kenya MotorSport Club had better be working overtime to secure the necessary support both financial and logistical.
Swimming- With the success enjoyed by our swimmers last year, swimming has quickly caught on in the country moreso in the City. Over the last few days, thanks to the favourable weather, swimming pools have been brimming with young Kenyans trying to emulate their local hero-Jason Dunford. If this can be sustained and the young talent offered specialized training the kind the Dunford brothers enjoy, we can be sure to produce continental if not world beaters. This is easily becoming one of the emerging sport in Kenya.

Top Sports Personalities in Kenya -2008

As we look forward to the coming year which will serve as breeding grounds and hard work for all sporting disciplines (since there are not as many major sports events), I have looked at those who made a major impact in the sports scene in 2008;
They are as follows;

1. Pamela Jelimo- Athletics 800m- from obscurity to golden moments- she literally scorched the tracks last year. Starting with the Kenyan championships(cum trials), she went on to register a gold medal in the African Athletics Meet in Ethiopia, won gold in Beijing Olympics and crowned the season by taking the Golden Jackpot by winning 6-out-6 races in the Golden League Athletics Grand Prix. She was accorded State honours having audience the powers-that-be. She’s easily the most talked about sports personality for the year 2008.

2.Francis Kimanzi- Coach/Team Manager (Mathare United & Kenyan football national team)– juggling two demanding jobs is not mean achievement. But he did just that and managed to win the Kenyan Premier last year and also managed to guide Kenya into the 2nd round of 2010 World Cup / Cup of Nations qualifiers. Under him, Kenya is currently ranked 65th in the FIFA world rankings –the highest ever and best for the East & Central African teams. All this at the tender age of 30 years.

3.Jason Dunford- Swimming- he started the year by being crowned SOYA for 2007 after a sterling performance in the All-Africa Games. He put Kenya in the Olympic record books temporarily holding the record for the 100m butterfly stroke for a few minutes. He managed a 5th place finish in the Finals won by swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps. He crowned the year by winning 3 gold medals & 2 silvers in African championships held in South Africa in November.

4.Collins Injera-Rugby- The national 7s team has become any sports enthusiasts’ talking point for the last 2 years. They won the Team of the Year award –SOYA 2007. One emerging player from the season was Collins Injera who had the big teams the likes of England, Fiji shaking in their boots last season. He has been a decisive factor in Kenya’s 7s game and is likely to be a player to watch this season.

5.Samuel Wanjiru- Athletics Marathon- he was the 3rd best marathoner going into the Olympics and his place was confirmed after finishing 2nd to Martin Lel in the London Marathon, as well as a nagging injury to Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot who had been tipped as the favourite. But come the last event of the Beijing Olympics Games, we woke up to watch a lean man tear the rest of the pack apart and win Kenya her first Olympic marathon gold.

6.Francis Ouma- Football-seeing as it is, the Kenyan Premier League last season got off into a good start. With DSTv/SuperSport screening select Kenyan games, our footballer had something to show to the rest of the world. Ochieng found the net 15 times most for his team leading them to a 1st place finish. He has found a place in the national team and is currently leading Kenya’s onslaught in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda.

7.Humphrey Khayange- rugby 7s- he captained the team to the IRB Sevens Series and one of the most influential players in the team. He managed to guide the team to a season high 6th place in the Series before they lost steam and slipped to finish within the top 10 positions. They won the Tusker Safari Sevens in July, giving local fans something to smile at. He is still captain and was instrumental in the team’s season 2nd round of the Series outstanding performance at the Dubai Sevens in December. We’ll how he guides the team for the rest of the season.

8.Ben Ayimba –coach rugby 7s team- he was one of the best players of his days and led Kenya’s 7s team to many an upset. He took up the managerial role of team in 2007 and has since seen the team grow to be one of the best emerging teams in the IRB 7s Series. He takes responsibility for any poor performances a thing that has endeared him to both fans and players. He is also one of the youngest coaches in the Series at 31 years. He is bound to continue this streak in the year.

9.Wilfred Bungei- Athletics 800m- he has been a major feature in Kenya’s international performances and is easily one of the most recognizable athletes on the track. He was a perennial underachiever failing to make the final sprint count and missing on medals. He led Kenya’s contingent as the captain of the Kenya team to the Olympics. Last year he proved us wrong and won his race earning Kenya one of the 5 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics. His trademark eye-glasses he says are not a fashion statement but simply to save his eyes from the gashing winds in the races.

10.Julius Kirwa- he took the unenviable job of head coach athletics at a time when Kenya’s international performances were taking a beating from bitter rivals such as Ethiopia, Eritrea and the North Africans. He almost lost it when Kenya didn’t win any individual race at the World Cross Country championships in ……earlier in 2008. But he managed to recover and come back with a bang helping Kenya secure 5 gold medals at the Olympics courtesy of the athletics team.

11.Nancy Lagat- 1500m –she was the surprise gold medalist for Kenya at the Olympics. She had kept her trend of winning, nondescriptly and she repeated that feat at the 1500m race earning Kenya’s women their 2nd ever gold medal at Olympics Games. Her demeanour hides her ambition to excel and she surely had us fooled!

SPECIAL MENTIONS:
Richard Omwela -Kenya Rugby Football Union- sustained support and professionalism into rugby
Mutwiri Mutuota- CNN/MultiChoice African Journalism of the Year Award nominee and winner in Sports Award section
Hellen Sambili-Minister for Youth and Sports- ensuring sustained Government support to Kenyan sports
www.mafans.com - interactive site with interesting sports news and arguments
EABL, KCB, KCC, Safaricom, Standard Chartered Kenya,Coca-Cola -the top companies supporting sports in Kenya for the season (Virgin Atlantic also deserves a mention albeit a hurried one).

Please add any which I may have forgotten !

Volleyball : Who's the 'Man'?

Finally the curtains are drawn on the Kenya Volleyball 2007 season. The year's been a mixed bag of fortunes. Starting with the wo-men, the individual clubs put up a very good show with top seeds KCB and Kenya Pipeline being dethroned from African club championship by Kenya Prisons.
KCB managed to win the play-offs thus qualifying automatically for the club championships. Kenya Pipeline and Prisons play for the 2nd slot.
The major misfiring was loss to the North Africans to represent Africa in the Olympics. Our ladies did give it a good shot but this was not their time. This exposed some of the weaknesses and technical aspects which will need to be worked on by next qualifiers.
All good so far.
When we turn into the men's game, it is another ball game altogether. Our men have become whipping kids for major countries which seems like some serious imbalance to me. What expertise do the wo-men who ironically are coached by men - from Paul Bitok to Gerald Lung'aho, Sylvester Kioko...all MEN ? That more fans flock the wo-men games than the men is a bitter truth that our men have to deal with.
That's some dilemma right there for Kenya Volleyball Federation. Who's the man ?