Wednesday, 10 December 2008
2010 World Cup: Progress Scorecard
Thanks to our brothers CNBC –South Africa for this report. In a weekly televised program on Sunday (with a repeat on Tuesday evening), the football and business community in south Africa are already checking the progress of the World Cup to be held in the country in 2010. Last night’s repeat had some interesting yardsticks they are using to know if they are on the right track on not; these include;
i) Brand awareness- the organizers set up shop in 2 last major sports events the most recent being the Beijing Olympics. Though they had the stand, they may have not exploited it to the full in creating awareness about the brand 2010 WC South Africa, according to Dr. Nicklaus Eberi.
ii) Winning team- South Africa had tottered in their build-up matches for the event but in the last 4 outings has managed to win. This gives the locals confidence of seeing their team through to the knock-out stages and could bode well since history favours host countries.
iii) Fan representation- this compares the local versus international fans, with this being touted as fearlessly competitive race for the 3.1 million tickets available. Given the African weather and unexploited natural resources, the SA WC might see a sell-out way before the 2010 deadline. Quota systems may apply but the black market will most likely be active as ever.
iv) Gender equality- fans coming to watch the games- women accounted for more than 40% of the fan base for the 2006 Germany WC and this time the number is expected to rise though marginally. How this is divided among the African states will be an interesting phenomenon
v) Visitors’ safety –this is the prick in the butt for the organizers with the situation far from being resolved. Given the fragility of the neighbouring state of Zimbabwe and high incidence of violent crime in South Africa, security forces both public and private have quite a task to ensure this is sorted by next year.
vi) Media centricity- this involves coverage of the run-up and related events such as the Confederations Cup, training sessions, friendlies and general state of the economy. FIFA has even hired 4 independent journalists to ensure non-biased coverage thus far and ensure not just the negative news gets out but also the positive developments taking place.
vii) Sponsorship money- According to findings, most sponsors will have value for their money with the sponsorship deals expected to be the highest ever. Given FIFA’s shrewd marketing team and the South African’s well-organised marketing team, sponsors are expected to reap huge rewards for supporting the event
viii) Catalyst to national unity- compared to the Rugby World Cup held in 1995, the World Cup represents a more diverse audience and team representation isn’t as skewed. But there are the underlying factors such as the 2009 General Elections expected to be fierce unlike previous years.
ix) Economic legacy- this compares the state of the economy before, during and after the event to measure the benefits reaped from hosting it. In Germany’s case, the tourists’ numbers improved by over 30% and the economy continues to enjoy a feel-good factor to this day among its peers in Europe. The same can be said of countries which hosted the Euro 2008-Switerland and Austria.
For the rest of Africa, we should be more than supportive to this cause since this will represent the potential of hosting other major events and this will be the reference point-success is the only choice in this case.
Check out CNBC on your TV (channel 49) or for those with satellite TV on DSTv-Sundays afternoon 2.30 p.m and Tuesday 8.30 p.m in the evening.
i) Brand awareness- the organizers set up shop in 2 last major sports events the most recent being the Beijing Olympics. Though they had the stand, they may have not exploited it to the full in creating awareness about the brand 2010 WC South Africa, according to Dr. Nicklaus Eberi.
ii) Winning team- South Africa had tottered in their build-up matches for the event but in the last 4 outings has managed to win. This gives the locals confidence of seeing their team through to the knock-out stages and could bode well since history favours host countries.
iii) Fan representation- this compares the local versus international fans, with this being touted as fearlessly competitive race for the 3.1 million tickets available. Given the African weather and unexploited natural resources, the SA WC might see a sell-out way before the 2010 deadline. Quota systems may apply but the black market will most likely be active as ever.
iv) Gender equality- fans coming to watch the games- women accounted for more than 40% of the fan base for the 2006 Germany WC and this time the number is expected to rise though marginally. How this is divided among the African states will be an interesting phenomenon
v) Visitors’ safety –this is the prick in the butt for the organizers with the situation far from being resolved. Given the fragility of the neighbouring state of Zimbabwe and high incidence of violent crime in South Africa, security forces both public and private have quite a task to ensure this is sorted by next year.
vi) Media centricity- this involves coverage of the run-up and related events such as the Confederations Cup, training sessions, friendlies and general state of the economy. FIFA has even hired 4 independent journalists to ensure non-biased coverage thus far and ensure not just the negative news gets out but also the positive developments taking place.
vii) Sponsorship money- According to findings, most sponsors will have value for their money with the sponsorship deals expected to be the highest ever. Given FIFA’s shrewd marketing team and the South African’s well-organised marketing team, sponsors are expected to reap huge rewards for supporting the event
viii) Catalyst to national unity- compared to the Rugby World Cup held in 1995, the World Cup represents a more diverse audience and team representation isn’t as skewed. But there are the underlying factors such as the 2009 General Elections expected to be fierce unlike previous years.
ix) Economic legacy- this compares the state of the economy before, during and after the event to measure the benefits reaped from hosting it. In Germany’s case, the tourists’ numbers improved by over 30% and the economy continues to enjoy a feel-good factor to this day among its peers in Europe. The same can be said of countries which hosted the Euro 2008-Switerland and Austria.
For the rest of Africa, we should be more than supportive to this cause since this will represent the potential of hosting other major events and this will be the reference point-success is the only choice in this case.
Check out CNBC on your TV (channel 49) or for those with satellite TV on DSTv-Sundays afternoon 2.30 p.m and Tuesday 8.30 p.m in the evening.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
What would be the Top 10 Perfectly Timed Sports Pictures
Coming from a fellow blogger, I thought this might be interesting to share with you and some you may have seen. Enjoy
Kenyan athlete dies in Brazil
Tradedy strikes when least expected and this time it has struck a fairly unknown entity robbing Kenyan of potential talent.
One Barnabas Kipkoech died on November 30 in Goiania, the capital of the Brazilian State of Goias while competing at a half-marathon. The gentleman seems to have had breathing problems which had been detected a week before but no medical tests were conducted and his manager went ahead to convince him to run.
This is tragic and calls for extra vigilance while competing locally or abroad. There should also be ways of vetting athletes before they compete in international circles, not everyone can run out there.
More details here.
One Barnabas Kipkoech died on November 30 in Goiania, the capital of the Brazilian State of Goias while competing at a half-marathon. The gentleman seems to have had breathing problems which had been detected a week before but no medical tests were conducted and his manager went ahead to convince him to run.
This is tragic and calls for extra vigilance while competing locally or abroad. There should also be ways of vetting athletes before they compete in international circles, not everyone can run out there.
More details here.
Kenya Football:KCB supports Ligi Ndogo
For a long time I'm writing one something positive on Kenyan football. Kenya Commercial Bank has shown intention of supporting youth football in Kenya by sponsoring the Ligi Ndogo. This is a league modelled for youth aged between 6-16 years who play over the weekends at common grounds in Nairobi-usually the Ligi Ndogo grounds on Ngong Road.
Over the years, most parents have found it worthwhile sending their football crazy kids there as well as serve up a place to hone their skills. Against this backdrop a number of corporate firms have shown interest and last year there was some support from Coca-Cola.
With these firms showing an interest as many others will probably do in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, Kenya football officials are busy digging deeper into their mess.
What federation signs a club coach (who performs beyond expectation with minimal resources) and fail to renew or upgrade his contract ?
As I write, we don't even have a team coach , why ?
With a major tournament in sight, the national team is yet to set camp for residential training. Are we that confident or do the officials know something we don't ?
Have we known who will run Kenyan football, Football Kenya or KFF or any of what Kenyan officials make us believe is the federation running Kenyan football ?
I'll stop at that before I get worked up .....
Over the years, most parents have found it worthwhile sending their football crazy kids there as well as serve up a place to hone their skills. Against this backdrop a number of corporate firms have shown interest and last year there was some support from Coca-Cola.With these firms showing an interest as many others will probably do in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, Kenya football officials are busy digging deeper into their mess.
What federation signs a club coach (who performs beyond expectation with minimal resources) and fail to renew or upgrade his contract ?
As I write, we don't even have a team coach , why ?
With a major tournament in sight, the national team is yet to set camp for residential training. Are we that confident or do the officials know something we don't ?
Have we known who will run Kenyan football, Football Kenya or KFF or any of what Kenyan officials make us believe is the federation running Kenyan football ?
I'll stop at that before I get worked up .....
Monday, 8 December 2008
Co-op Bank draw first blood in KBF Basketball Play-offs
Coming after a brief break (occassioned by the African Women Club championships), Co-op Bank of Kenya men's team went one up against Kenya Commercial Bank Lions. The games have seen quite a decline in national and local attention, losing out big even on club sponsorship.
Hosting the club championships didn't improve the numbers much and that ought to be a cause for concern for the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF)officials.
The second of the best of 3 games will be played this weekend and though the games ought to serve up some nice match-ups , I'm hugely disappointed by the lack of promotion for the games.
There ought to be some serious soul-searching for the officials in the off-season as this game is slowly going into obscurity.
Mr Otula over to you !
Hosting the club championships didn't improve the numbers much and that ought to be a cause for concern for the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF)officials.
The second of the best of 3 games will be played this weekend and though the games ought to serve up some nice match-ups , I'm hugely disappointed by the lack of promotion for the games.
There ought to be some serious soul-searching for the officials in the off-season as this game is slowly going into obscurity.
Mr Otula over to you !
Golden Boy no more
Oscar de la Hoya otherwise known in boxing circles as Golden Boy suffered another humiliating defeat as he was outboxed, outfoxed and almost outweighed by the Philippine Manny Pacquiao.
Image courtesy of BBC
When do some of these boxers learn their time and reigns are over ?
Another boxer in the shape of Evander Holyfield is trying to become the oldest heavyweight boxer title holder ar 46 when he meets one of the Klitschko brothers ,Wladimirlater this month.This guy is one of the hardest hitting punchers n the ring right now.That for me is suicidal enough
After watching de la Hoya being humiliated in the ring, Holyfield had better know what he's getting into. He hasn't lost the dignity yet and he seems to be stable still. Not wanting to sound insensitive, he can ask for a word or two from Ali or de la Hoya too.
For Oscar, I think fight promoting is a more viable option now, Manny vs Ricky Hatton would be a hot one for any promoter worth his salt.
Image courtesy of BBC
When do some of these boxers learn their time and reigns are over ?
Another boxer in the shape of Evander Holyfield is trying to become the oldest heavyweight boxer title holder ar 46 when he meets one of the Klitschko brothers ,Wladimirlater this month.This guy is one of the hardest hitting punchers n the ring right now.That for me is suicidal enough
After watching de la Hoya being humiliated in the ring, Holyfield had better know what he's getting into. He hasn't lost the dignity yet and he seems to be stable still. Not wanting to sound insensitive, he can ask for a word or two from Ali or de la Hoya too.
For Oscar, I think fight promoting is a more viable option now, Manny vs Ricky Hatton would be a hot one for any promoter worth his salt.
Bull-fighting in Nairobi ?
Some fancy promoter has decided to make life a bit more interesting for Nairobians, insisting that he can bring the bull-fighting sport into the City. A traditional sport mostly in the Western part of Kenya, the practice ( some say it's a sport...???) has attracted attention in the last few years and some local politicians have been known to take advantage and hype their clansmen into the practice.
This year the sport even attracted sponsorship from local companies among them a financial institution. Now the zealous promoter feels its time Kenyans stopped having to plan for the Western trip and have these fights staged right here in the Nairobi.
This has attracted the wrath of animal welfare and rights organisations which feel this is torture against the animals while some politicians have cautioned the promoter to be on the look-out for safety precautions and logistics of transporting and staging the fights.
I'll ask you voice your opinion before making mine known for now.....
This year the sport even attracted sponsorship from local companies among them a financial institution. Now the zealous promoter feels its time Kenyans stopped having to plan for the Western trip and have these fights staged right here in the Nairobi.This has attracted the wrath of animal welfare and rights organisations which feel this is torture against the animals while some politicians have cautioned the promoter to be on the look-out for safety precautions and logistics of transporting and staging the fights.
I'll ask you voice your opinion before making mine known for now.....
Friday, 5 December 2008
Nation Media Group launches ZuQka.com
The media wars keep reinventing themselves and today one of Kenyan’s premier media station launched ZuQka.com. This is an innovative way of trying to capture Kenyan youth and seek their indulgence in issues affecting them be they social issues such as music, theatre and personalities but also interacting with their peers through the forum created by an IT platform –a first of its kind in Kenya. A large emphasis is on entertainment which is slowing challenging mainstream business and waking up a hitherto unexplored area.
Image courtesy of ZuQka.com
This is surely to rival its main competition East Standard which records high sales on Friday through its pull-out The Pulse which has a feel on the pulse of Kenyan entertainment scene and other youth-related issues.
Check out the website for more details.
Image courtesy of ZuQka.com This is surely to rival its main competition East Standard which records high sales on Friday through its pull-out The Pulse which has a feel on the pulse of Kenyan entertainment scene and other youth-related issues.
Check out the website for more details.
Youth and Sports Ministry Forum
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is holding a 2-day seminar for our local members of parliament to sensitise them on the achievements of the Ministry as well as develop new plans for the coming 3 years as well as be encompassed in the 2030 Vision Kenya.
Good thus far. My issue though was how little sports activities were given credence. The Ministry says it has set up community sports grounds (where?) and youth sports centres (again …where?) and introduced cash reward schemes and honours for our sports personalities. What about the sports policy which was developed and stills lies somewhere in the Ministry’s archives? What of appreciating the growth of sports and introducing incentives for entrepreneurs wishing to invest in developing not just infrastructure but local sports facilities and skills? Maybe you can have a word with the Ministry of Information and Communications and talk to one Mr. Bitange Ndemo who appreciates the pace in which the world is moving.
Retired Col. Murugu, please impress upon our MPs that this industry generates more than its fair share of GDP as well as positive publicity, so they better style up and introduce Bills supporting the commercialization and subsidizing sports programs. 2010 is not too far away…. You know!
Good thus far. My issue though was how little sports activities were given credence. The Ministry says it has set up community sports grounds (where?) and youth sports centres (again …where?) and introduced cash reward schemes and honours for our sports personalities. What about the sports policy which was developed and stills lies somewhere in the Ministry’s archives? What of appreciating the growth of sports and introducing incentives for entrepreneurs wishing to invest in developing not just infrastructure but local sports facilities and skills? Maybe you can have a word with the Ministry of Information and Communications and talk to one Mr. Bitange Ndemo who appreciates the pace in which the world is moving.
Retired Col. Murugu, please impress upon our MPs that this industry generates more than its fair share of GDP as well as positive publicity, so they better style up and introduce Bills supporting the commercialization and subsidizing sports programs. 2010 is not too far away…. You know!
Volleyball Clinics for Kenyan youth
With the holidays now raising the tempo for all the merry-making and short celebrations, a former senior Kenyan coach has made time to hone Kenya’s next generation of volleyballers. This comes at a time when the cream of Kenya’s top volleyball players especially the women are reaching their retirement and most having had a taste of glory in continental and national championships.
Mr Gitau has found time to set up youth clinics in Central Kenya-one of the hotspots for Kenyan volleyball talent. These clinics are aimed at giving the youthful players time out to join their peers and enjoy some technical expertise from local coaches. This is a commendable job and only hope it could be translated to the local clubs as they recruit their players.
They can give a tip of advice to the rest of the sporting community as the rest of the country takes a Christmas break which comes early this year since most Kenyans are compensating for what transpired last year and early this year after the elections.
Mr Gitau has found time to set up youth clinics in Central Kenya-one of the hotspots for Kenyan volleyball talent. These clinics are aimed at giving the youthful players time out to join their peers and enjoy some technical expertise from local coaches. This is a commendable job and only hope it could be translated to the local clubs as they recruit their players.
They can give a tip of advice to the rest of the sporting community as the rest of the country takes a Christmas break which comes early this year since most Kenyans are compensating for what transpired last year and early this year after the elections.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Safari Rally lands inclusion in the 2009 IRC
After missing out in the 2008 IRC calendar ( thanks to our early year domestic issues), the Safari Rally gets the chance to return to the WRC circuit by being included in next year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge calendar. This is a 2nd tier rallying circuit which includes rallies which are being gauged and assessed before they can be included in the WRC which has become strict in terms of inclusion, due to safety, logistical, geograpical and related reasons.
A good turn it maybe. Thanks in part too to one Surinder Thathi who sometime this season raised controversy during the Formula 1 round in Great Britain by penalising McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. The former rally driver now FIA official may have put a good word or two for the rally to be taken as such. FIA already has the Rally as an African Rally Championship event.
With more sponsors on board such as has been the case with KCB, we hope to expedite the process back into the WRC fold. I still think it's one of the toughest races for man and machine and the East African expedition is to die for.
Sidenote:
Due to security threats ( rumours even link the Al-Qaeda to this)this year, the famous Paris-Dakar Rally w
ill be relocating to South America for the Buenos Aires-Lisbon-Buenos Aires challenge next year from January 3rd-13th 2009. The flavour is surely not African anymore but we hope the experience will be worthwhile.
Check this for more information.
Is it an African thing that we are losing the lucrative world of rallying to other continents ?
A good turn it maybe. Thanks in part too to one Surinder Thathi who sometime this season raised controversy during the Formula 1 round in Great Britain by penalising McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. The former rally driver now FIA official may have put a good word or two for the rally to be taken as such. FIA already has the Rally as an African Rally Championship event.
With more sponsors on board such as has been the case with KCB, we hope to expedite the process back into the WRC fold. I still think it's one of the toughest races for man and machine and the East African expedition is to die for.
Sidenote:
Due to security threats ( rumours even link the Al-Qaeda to this)this year, the famous Paris-Dakar Rally w
ill be relocating to South America for the Buenos Aires-Lisbon-Buenos Aires challenge next year from January 3rd-13th 2009. The flavour is surely not African anymore but we hope the experience will be worthwhile. Check this for more information.
Is it an African thing that we are losing the lucrative world of rallying to other continents ?
Kenyan Cricket gets Youth Academy
Closing the year on positive, Kenyan cricket is looking into the youth to try restore Kenya's pride as a threat to Test playing nations. Elite Youth Academy to be set up in Ruaraka- Nairobi will look to hone Kenya' s young talent to feed onto the clubs and ultimately the national team.
The academy's proposed manager 2-time World Cup player, Martin Suji said that this is a noble idea whose time's long overdue and looks forward to adding to the Odumbes, Sujis, Tikolos and Patels of the Kenyan cricket heritage. Though a tad bit late, this should go a long way in putting Kenya in a better position to play with the Test Playing nations. ICC should also look into the One-Day-Invitationals which can be spread beyond the Test Playing nations....but that's a topic for another day.Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Kenyan ball jugglers try for Guinness Book of World Records
Kenya is known more for its athletics prowess rather than its footballing power. 2 Kenyan brothers have been trying to change that perception of Kenyan entries in the Guinness Book of World Records. Over the years, different Kenyan athletes have featured there with the earliest being Henry Rono back in 1977-8 when he broke and held at least 4 world records over 4 different athletics races.
In the 1980s, John Ngugi made it as the first athlete to win 5 world cross country championships along with other legends such as Julius Kariuki-3000m steeplechase record ( which has since been broken ) along with a host of other athletes.
1990s saw this Moses Kiptanui make the spoils along with a host of other athletes such as Paul Tergat, Richard Chelimo just to name a few.
Back to the ball juggling, where the Yoga brothers, Willis and Kenneth first attempted these records of juggling the ball the longest non-stop with any part of the body and the other juggling the ball on top of a motorcycle.
In 2006,
Willis Yoga, 22, bounced a soccer ball with his head for seven straight hours to break the existing record in his category at 11:45 a.m., but continued the action until 3:15 p.m., when he deliberately let the ball fall, after clocking seven hours, 37 minutes and 18 seconds. On the other hand, Kenneth Yoga, 27, had hoped to break an existing 19-hour juggling time record set by a Brazilian, Eduardo Orige, who bounced a ball using his head and legs, but the ball slipped and fell to the ground at exactly 12:18 p.m. owing to a muscle pull.- Source Ohmy News
The past weekend they attempted the records of juggling the ball with any part of the body and the other for riding on board a motorbike while juggling. While the records await verification, we at Sportskenya applaud them for putting us right there on the Guiness Book of World Records. Check more records here.
In the 1980s, John Ngugi made it as the first athlete to win 5 world cross country championships along with other legends such as Julius Kariuki-3000m steeplechase record ( which has since been broken ) along with a host of other athletes.
1990s saw this Moses Kiptanui make the spoils along with a host of other athletes such as Paul Tergat, Richard Chelimo just to name a few.
Back to the ball juggling, where the Yoga brothers, Willis and Kenneth first attempted these records of juggling the ball the longest non-stop with any part of the body and the other juggling the ball on top of a motorcycle.
In 2006,
Willis Yoga, 22, bounced a soccer ball with his head for seven straight hours to break the existing record in his category at 11:45 a.m., but continued the action until 3:15 p.m., when he deliberately let the ball fall, after clocking seven hours, 37 minutes and 18 seconds. On the other hand, Kenneth Yoga, 27, had hoped to break an existing 19-hour juggling time record set by a Brazilian, Eduardo Orige, who bounced a ball using his head and legs, but the ball slipped and fell to the ground at exactly 12:18 p.m. owing to a muscle pull.- Source Ohmy News
The past weekend they attempted the records of juggling the ball with any part of the body and the other for riding on board a motorbike while juggling. While the records await verification, we at Sportskenya applaud them for putting us right there on the Guiness Book of World Records. Check more records here.
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.
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.
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