Kenyan National Honours, who makes the Sports Category shortlist?

Jamhuri or Independence/Republic Day is usually the last major national day on the Kenyan calendar. This day also serves as  when the list of state commendations or honours are awarded to various Kenyan nationals who have served diligently and exceptionally within the given calendar year or in their lifetime. It is structured in the same vein of civil awards and decorations such as are awarded in the UK ( Kenya's former colonial master), US et cetera.

Kenya State Commendation Bars
Image courtesy  of http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/

Immediately after Kenya's independence, the roll of honour was largely composed of politicians, businessmen, educationists and sadly cronies of the Government of the day. This was perpetuated in by the Moi government in the 1980s and 90s. Then came the Kibaki era which is coming to its sunset days. Again not much change there and though there have been a couple of deserving Kenyans who have been awarded, there are also some 'suprises' who show up every now and then. (FYI -In 2012, two of the President's children or is it First Family's were among those honoured)
Do you always wonder if you have made the list or at least someone who you know deserves? It was a bit of an embarrassment for the Kenyan state in 2004 when the Nobel Committee honoured Wangari Maathai with its Prize for Peace while back home the best we could do is offer her a Deputy Ministerial post with its lowly honours and priviledges.

All the same we have a list of the honours listed as follows;

• Order of the Golden Heart - Chief/First Class(only Kenyan Head of State & other exemplary people from other parts of the world are awarded this) denoted as CGH, Elder/Second Class (EGH), Moran/Third Class (MGH)
• Order of the Burning Spear - Chief (CBS), Moran (MBS) and Elder (EBS)
• Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) 
• Silver Star (SS)
• Head of State Commendation ( HSC)
• Distinguished Service Medal
• Distinguished Conduct Order

This year there were a couple of sports personalities awarded including;

• David Lekuta Rudisha (MBS)
• Sam Nyamweya (MBS)

Last year's list included among others;

• Collins Injera (OGW)
• Humphrey Kayange (OGW)

Other previous honours include Catherine Ndereba (DSM & OGW), Tecla Loroupe (OGW), Ezekiel Kemboi (OGW), Jason Dunford (OGW) and Paul Tergat (MBS) to name but a few.

Pres. Kibaki garlands The Aga Khan with Chief of Golden Heart (CGH) honours - 2007

Now my beef starts with the 'economy of that list'. It was too short considering there are many sports personalities worthy of recognition whether still active, retired or post-humously. This has been done before. For example, Kenya never honoured her late boxing hero Robert Wangila Napunyi, marathoner Samuel Wanjiru, footballer Jonathan Niva, former tennis star Paul Wekesa et cetera.
Secondly, what criteria do the State operatives use to vet those deserving of these awards? Yeah what great honour did some of those mentioned bring us? For example, football honcho Sam Nyamweya though in charge of Football Kenya Federation currently, our take is that he has not really lived up to expectations. In fact, he could be part of why Kenyan football languishes in mediocrity. Look at how they handled the Henri Michel case. What about Sakata Ball?
Finally we're reminded that there was supposed to be a Heroes Corner at Uhuru Gardens. What happened to that initiative? Athletics Kenya came up with its own Sports Museum to try and honour those who achieved great deeds in the sport for the country, though it doesn't quite measure up to standards.

Next year at a time like this,we shall be having a new government and hope that they will improve on the way  we honour our sports people. They have been our greatest and most consistent ambassadors and should treated as such if not better!

Paul Tergat nominated to head National Olympic Committee-Kenya...Good Choice

Having served to the mandatory age of 70 years, Kipchoge Keino is calling it a day at the helm of the  National Olympic Committee of Kenya. He held office since 2000 after taking over from then beleaugered Charles Mukora who had resigned after the Salt Lake City games debacle that rocked the IOC. In the 12 years at helm, Mr. Kip Keino has managed the best and one of the worst of performances by a Kenyan team in country's Olympic history. The most recent bad performance in London is one sticking point.
The speed-cop has also managed to keep steady the NOC-K but being a semi-independent sports body from the local national sports federations and associations, it has not been an easy task. His regular spats with the one of the most powerful sports association Athletics Kenya for example is another of the unforgiving jobs he had to do while as NOC-K Chair.
We shall not enumerate his major undertakings as Chair or shortcomings for now. That's for another day/post. We wish him well as he takes up his position as honorary member of the IOC.

Paul Tergat  - image courtesy of www.runblogrun.com

In comes Paul Tergat. Now if ever there was an athlete who would rival Kipchoge Keino in terms of both national and international appeal, it is Paul Kibii Tergat. He has been on the running circuit until injury and loss of form made him leave the tracks and roads last year. His 5 consecutive titles on the world cross-country circuits, half-marathon and marathon races as well as his memorable but disappointing 2nd place finishes at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics to another athletics legend Haile Gebreselassie.
Beyond his running exploits he has set up the Paul Tergat Foundation and also set up a private sports marketing firm, FineTouch Communications which handles the SOYA (Sports Personality Of the Year Awards) - an event used to honour Kenyan sports men and women who have excelled within a certain calendar year as well as honour those teams and past heroes too. He has also been serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for WFP- World Food Programme.
And though his sports organisations management may be in doubt, he has cultivated a relationship of mutual respect and honesty with Kenyan corporate firms and sports bodies - a rare feat for many sports people both active and retired. He has also been known to be a consensus builder and has business acumen which he will need to muster to run the NOC-K which still needs regular funding to meet its obligations.
As a former Olympian he did manage to embody the spirit of sportsmanship by not only losing gracefully two times to the same athlete but also cultivating a healthy relationship with his nemesis Gebreselassie. The two took battle from the cross-country tracks to the race tracks in the 10,000m to half-marathons and full marathons. They even broke world records in the marathon between themselves before Kenya's Patrick Makau took the course record in Berlin last year.
We do applaud him on his nomination and do hope the IOC picks him to represent Kenya in the greater Olympics body. It should also be noted that other Kenyan sporting bodies should take the lead of the NOC-K to nominate, vet and elect officials who's track record speaks for itself. Too many charlatans in town are costing Kenyan sport as great fortune and goodwill from their international peers.
Godspeed though to the "Gentleman''  !
  

Road to Olympics : 2000 - The Millenium Games

Sydney - Australia had the honour of hosting the millenium Games which marked the second start of another 100 years of the Olympics heritage. That the city down under got the Games was only the second time they were being hosted in the Southern hemisphere ( Melbourne still in Australia had hosted the Games in 1956).

The backdrop of the Games was the fact that Greece the spiritual home of the Games had been beaten by Atlanta in hosting the previous ones which marked 100 years of the modern Olympics. It was also coming in with less tensions across the world but with the soon-to-change security situation - thanks to concerns about terrorism.
The Games also stuck out for the cultural festivals around Australian and Aboriginal cultures which are rich and at times colliding. That Cathy Freeman would be the torch-bearer and go on to win infront of her home crowd is not an understatement to what significance the Games held to the local populace.

Kenya had had dismal performances in the 1990s and this would not change much in the 2000 Games.But before that here's a preview of the main highlights;

Highlights:

3-in-1 mascots

• Cathy Freeman - an Australian of Aborigine origin won the 400m becoming the first person to light the torch and go on to win gold in an event in the same Games;
• Marion Jones won 3 gold medals after trying to gun for 5 potential ones. These came in the 100m, 200m and 4 X 100m relay races. She confessed to using banned performance-enhancing substances and was stripped of all her medals;
• Ian 'Thorpedo' Thorpe became an instant sensation winning 3 Gold and 2 silver - in the swimming competitions becoming the Games poster boy;
• The Cameroon football team shocked the world by beating Spain to claim gold in the men's competition. The  team was led by Patrick M'boma and a young prodigy by the name of Samuel Etoo;
• Michael Johnson won the 400m flat, as well as the 4 X 400m relay ( but this was cancelled after the 3 other athletes admitted to use of performance-enhancing substances);
• China - the roaring Asian tiger would stealthly work its way to the top of the medal rankings - finished 3rd after US and Russia. By 2008, China would overhaul both these countries to emerge top medal winner at the Beijing Games.
• Paul Tergat & Haile Gebreselassie would treat the world to one of the most exciting finishes of the longest stadium race - 10,000m with Haile using his lethal finishing kick to narrowly beat Tergat to silver. 

Kenya Figures;

• 56 athletes were sent to the Games including 34 male and 22 females;
• They participated in 6 disciplines including archery, athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and volleyball;
• 2 Gold, 3 Silver & 2 Bronze were all won in athletics - Gold: Reuben Kosgei ( 3000m steeplechase) & Noah Ngeny (1500m); Silver: Wilson B. Kipketer (3000m s'chase), Paul Tergat (10,000m) and Eric Wainaina (marathon) and Bronze : Joyce Chepchumba (women's marathon) and Bernard Lagat (1500m)
• Future World champion Vivian Cheruiyot placed 14th in 5000m - she hopes to beat the Olympic jinx & win her first medal ever in 2012.

Road to Olympics - 1996 Atlanta - Kenya Dips again

Atlanta '96
The 1990s represented a major shift not just in geo-politics and economics but also the world of sport. For what was to be centennial Games ( initially thought to be automatically held in Athens - the spiritual home of Modern Olympics), commercial interests overrode the IOC chiefs seeing USA host the Games the second time in less than 15 years.

Atlanta '96 

The jury's still out there whether they were any more (commercially) successful than the '84 Los Angeles Games.For Kenya though, it was another dismal performance from its traditional hunting grounds in athletics. There was also reduced representation in other sporting disciplines something that seems to be symptotic to this day. Here's a brief review of the Games;


Interesting Tid-bits:

• Olympic Flame - The lighting of the Olympic flame was kept secret for the longest time until the day when former Olympian Muhammad Ali ran into the stadium making a triumphant entry - for a moment there helping the world remember him one more time. His suffering from Parkinson's disease has paled his otherwise outspoken boxing career. He was also re-awarded his gold medal from the Tokyo Games ( after he threw away the original one in protest against Army recruitment for the Vietnam War).
• Sprint Doubles - Donovan Bailey (Canada) won men's 100m & 4x100m; Michael Johnson 200m & 400m;  Marie-Jose Perec women's 200m & 400m making them uniquely double medallists.
• Final Bow - Carl Lewis won his 4th long jump medal in an Olympics bringing the curtain down on one of the biggest Olympic legends. This was sweet revenge for him after missing the world record for the whole of his long-jumping days.

Izzy

Kenya's Statistics:

• 5 Disciplines were represented ; Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Shooting and Weightlifting
• 52 participants took part ; 42 men and 10 women in these events;
• 1 Gold - 3,000m steeplechase - easily Kenya's traditional event - Joseph Keter
• 4 Silver - Paul Bitok (5000m), Paul Tergat (10,000m), Moses Kiptanui (3000m s'chase), Pauline Konga (5,000m women)
• 3 Bronze - Fred Onyancha ( 800m), Stephen Kipkorir ( 1500m), Erick Wainaina ( marathon)

This was another poor performance from the Kenyan team overall, what the outlook for the coming century? Only time would tell.

  

SOYA Awards - Safaricom keeps their promise...

The Kenyan sporting scene is not always the easiest to navigate and as sports people we can assure you it also not the easiest to sell to Kenyan corporate firms. But once again Paul Tergat has managed to pull the strings and wow Safaricom and get overall sponsorship for the annual Kenyan sports awards scheme, SOYA.

You can view some of the action from the SOYA Awards 2009 here;

Having filled in a vacuum left out (as usual by the public sector Government ), these awards have become a permanent feature in Kenya's sporting scene. As a celebration of Kenya's sporting exploits across the world, it has sought to inspire young talent to engage in sport as well as showcase and appreciate our own - with some token ( money & trophies in this case).

We shall update on the date (likely to be in December 2010) and also cover it as we always do. See more media reports, here and here too.

2010 Africa Athletics Championships : AK, PLEASE GET SERIOUS !

Kenyan athletics has for the longest time remained one of the most successful sports discipline in the country and with this comes the added bonus of prosperity and expectations. Being managed by one of the richest (if not the richest) sports body in the country, it is thus a joke to find it hard to get things rolling for the continental championships to be hosted in Nairobi July 28th - August 1st 2010.
The team headed by the current chair who's served for the longest time ever can do better than it currently is.
According to media reports, our own prominent athlete Paul Tergat has asked the Local Organising Committee led by its CEO David Okeyo - who also doubles up as the AK's Secretary General - to redouble their efforts for putting up a worthy show in the next 2 months.
That they usually reprimand organisers of local athlete meets and roadshows is sure the standard they can set for themselves. The goodwill enjoyed from most corporate organisations, the Government and the Sports Stadia Management Board (that which has been dithering though in renovating Nyayo Stadium - venue of the championships)is enough to put something respectable in place.
They also have the experience of hosting the annual cross-country events and national trials which are good testing grounds. AK also successfully hosted the 2007 World Cross-Country Championships.
That said, they can always seek the Paul Tergats and Martin Keinos of this world who have over the years shown proficiency in managing athletics brands and events. The annual Sports Personality of the Year Awards -SOYA's such a case.
Get working people and DON'T let us down!
You can follow African Athletics here.

Sports Personality of the Year 2009 for 2009

Kenya's premiere award gala event will this year hope to reward the outstanding sports personalities before the end of the year. This is a positive move after the previous events tended to spill into the new year making it difficult to keep track of performances.
It is also a step in the right direction since it will ensure that sports people give their level best as they seek nomination for the awards. Quite a number of the sporting disciplines have their events calendars marked alongside that of the calendar year.
Main sponsors -Safaricom-will continue sponsoring the event this time pledging at least Kshs. 7 m. This is enhancing its commitment to the development of local sports and sports events.
Kudos to Paul Tergat in line with making a worthy contribution to the sports scene while still active. A popular figure both locally and internationally, he has the unofficial tag of 'Kenya's sports ambassador'. His outfit which manages the event, FineTouch Communications will ensure the event runs smoothly as it did this year. Can't wait to be part of the event!

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 !

Athletics: Cross-country preparations

The Kenyan trials are in place and the select team for this year’s cross-country challenge will assemble coming Monday at their usual rendezvous in Kigari College-Embu. Athletics Kenya has on its calendar the main cross-country event for qualifying our athletes tomorrow at Ngong Racecourse.
A break from the recent past where the media was allowed access to the athletes was necessitated after Athletics Kenya felt they have been disclosing a tad bit too much to the rest of the world thereby letting our competition know their tactics. A plus from our pundit!
This year will also see the team congregate for at least one month before the championships. This will give them ample time to be able to work on their strategies and also mould unity within their ranks. Another plus!
Usual rendezvous –Kigari? That puzzles our pundit….why would we train relatively high altitude and red soil regions while the competition will be held on man-made tracks in some forlorn though fast-developing desert region? Will the lads be able to work with the heat and the windy conditions? Amman-Jordan will serve these up. A minus if you ask me
This year a number of young athletes will be making their final run as they look to graduate to the more competitive grounds at the race-tracks at the Grand Prix and other athletic meets. This should be one year where they can finally wrestle the individual title from the all-too-familiar Bekele. Thus far he has made enough history and we can’t let him retire without a loss on the trail. Any takers here? Asbel Kiprop and Cherono can you hear me?
Let’s crown the next John Ngugi and Paul Tergat!

Athletics: Are all these road races necessary?

Over the weekend, AK’s chair one Mr. Isaiah Kiplagat said that they would find ways of limiting the races Kenyan athletes run especially the younger ones to avoid burn-out. I couldn’t agree more on this.
We seem to have become with road-races in the last 2 years and this year given the success of our athletes in the Beijing Olympics, there are at least 3-4 road races every weekend. That’s a bit on the over-drive given the bodies of our athletes take beatings from serious sessions of training. This has led to short-lived careers of our athletes especially in the longer distances.
A causal look at the last 10 years shows you why we only have the likes of Paul Tergat and Catherine Ndereba remaining for such races. This is because they have learnt the art of choosing which the best races are for them and limiting their appearances to the same events. Even they admit, at times to have over-booked their schedules. Our younger athletes need take such lessons too and AK can guide this process to avoid burn-out and exploitation by the agents and greedy managers.