MotorSport - San Valencia Rally School breaks new ground

Awhile back when the rallying world seemed to have come down crumbling after the withdrawal of the Safari Rally by the WRC gurus, rallying enthusiasts all but gave up on this fledging sport. Not one to be faint-hearted both on the wheel and off it, it requires lots of nerves, guts and also the good-old mullah ($$$)to go with it.

That's why there was cause for celebration when retired (& soon to come out of retirement...)one Phineas Kimathi of San Valencia Group - which operates eatery and catering services around Nairobi - came up with other rallying veterans ( Abdul Sidi, Azar Anwar, Asad Khan and George Mwangi) to form the San Valencia Rally School.
The first of its kind in the country, it is hoped to develop local talent into rally drivers and impart a bit of the technical aspects of the sport to the younger and upcoming rally drivers.

Hoping to incorporate other worthy components such as WRC's Junior World Rally Championship, and other aspects such as may involve rallying, it is a fresh way of developing our drivers and inspiring future ones at that. We hope such initiatives will give impetus to the local organisers to up their game on rallying to get the Safari Rally back to the WRC circuit, that way your efforts will not be in vain. You can also learn more from such rallying schools as this one at Silvestone.

2010 Africa Cup of Nations - Are we ready for the World Cup?

With the tournament coming to a close last night with the Egyptians winning the trophy a third time in as many times crowning a sterling performance from much of the homegrown talent.
Having been threatened by the initial attacks on the Togolese team (which has since been banned from CAF tournaments, absurd if you ask me...), the tournament had a hot-cold feel to it which meant there were spectacular moments but also the usual drawl that such tournaments have. These are our take-outs worth noting;

1. Security - this has becoming of paramount importance since the 1972 Olympics when Israel lost some of its members to a fundamentalist group. This should have been avoided at the start if the Angolan authorities had not overlooked the fact of Cabinda being a potential trouble-spot. Future tournament organisers will also need to notify the countries available means of entry into their countries to avoid such travesties as endured by the Togolese team.

2. Sponsors - for once most the companies who sponsored the tournament made an effort to localise even their communication using largely African players and people too. This is a boon to the fledging industries in sports, advertising and marketing which couple together to make it possible to enjoy the tournaments.
A mention too for the SuperSport sportscasters for adding the African flair to their wardrobe. Though some people looked awkward in the flowing designs, it was refreshing to see the change from the more formal polo shirts to the truly African wear.

3. Timing - not seemingly supporting the European team managers, the tournament needs to have a longer period between one and the next tournament. Though CAF's Issa Hayatou , thinks otherwise, the level of competition would be heightened if there is a wider period and also allow for the players to give their best as compared to what they currently have to endure. Some of the main contenders had to contend with 4-6 players of the first team injured.
Again the pressures on the host country have all been there to see, like Burkina Faso in 1998 and Mali in 2002. Though FIFA has made the changes into an odd year,so as to see the possibility of not clashing with the European and World Cups, the work is cut out for the CAF officials.

4. Trophy Design - Now that Egypt has won the trophy 3 consecutive times, does the old tradition of keeping the trophy stand? If it does, it's about time CAF developed a more representative and iconic trophy. The current World Cup is a good starting point.

5. Stadium Management - It was clear that most of the stadia were being used for the first time and the toll on some of them made it hard to train and play at the same time. Taking us back to the 3rd point, the organisers ought to give the host country ample time to develop the stadia and also test them with local or international fixtures. That way no excuses of not training at the same grounds will be heard like what we had in the Angolan tournament.

6. Africa Cup of Nations cum World Cup qualifiers - judging from the performance of most countries that qualified for the World Cup, it shows the need to have it held every 3-4 years. Though 3 of the countries qualified for the semi-finals, the lacklustre performances in the group stages and the quarter & semi-finals depict a worrying picture. Unless the countries pick themselves up and play with serious passion and technical approach, I don't see anywhere more than 2 countries going into the second round of the World Cup.

7. Local vs international tacticians - Once again, we argue the case for local coaches taking the national teams. Look at Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria, though the latter two didn't win anything substantial, the use of local coaches showed why we need to do away with the notion that expatriates will make our game. What's even more interesting is the fact that much of the Egyptian team had players from their local league. I wonder how they lost the WC qualifiers again...
(Don't you just love it?)
I'm sure the South African LOC for the World Cup has been camping at the Angola cities taking notes. I don't foresee the two tournaments ever coming into such close proximity as it has this year. Thus South Africans, you've the work cut out for you !

MacDonald Mariga 's Promised Deal ? No Celebrating Yet

Over the weekend, the local Press and sports enthusiasts were treated to some interesting news about one of Kenya's sterling footballers about to make his forays into the richest Premier league in Europe -EPL.
While perusing I noticed a rather disappointing tone to most of the stories which highlighted more of what he is supposedly going to earn rather than tell us more about his exploits on the pitch and impact in his current team Parma in Italy.
Something else we must realise is that the deal is not yet sealed. As Mark Kaigwa notes in his blog- Mariga's likely miss , we must remember that Manchester City is currently the richest club and though we would love to have him join them (the first Kenyan player if he does to play in the English Premier League), there is the small matter of whether he will earn top notch playing games or languish on the bench ala Angola's Manucho @ Manchester United.
As a player though, he has managed to stay in good playing condition given the very physical nature of the Italian game - catenaccio. If he makes it to the English game, the pace, weather and exhausting schedule is something to think about. He may also need to consult some serious tax guys to sort out his pay and any endorsements (if they come his way) since England is known to have one of the tightest tax regimes in sports.
As the January transfer window comes to an end in the next few hours, we hope history shall be made but with much thought and hindsight before embarking on the English rendezvous.

Kenyan football officials you watching?

Did you know that...
- Mariga was part of the Kamukunji High School - that included Dennis Oliech -Auxerre (France) who won two national titles in 2002 & 2003.
- His deal to Parma was engineered by former Swede international Martin Dahlin - first black player for the Swedish team which went on to place 3rd in the 1994 World Cup in the US.
- There are reports of interests too from Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan
(Sources: Wikipedia & Goal.com)

AFC Leopards Spotless for now ???

It seems symptomatic of Kenyan sports ( no pun intended for the Leopards FC fans) that anytime there is a semblance of success, all hell breaks loose.
According to media reports, AFC Leopards one of Kenyan's football club with a rich heritage has been having 2 camps training separately and under different management. As a keen supporter of the development of the local game, consultations with reliable sources managing the team's affair indicate that this was a case of blown egos from the past season.

While it is any fans wish that some of these problems would stop manifesting themselves just before the team engages in its first continental challenge in the last 13 years, it cannot escape the usual infighting that comes with success and promises expected. A causary look at most of the Kenyan teams and the sponsorship they are attracting gives credence to this.
In addition to this, we have seen KFF or whatever body runs the game serve as the template for most clubs where chaos and underhand dealings run the game. FIFA has not helped matters either as they have come up with all sorts of reasons to save their underlings managing the local scene.
If my sources are correct, the 2 camps have buried the hatchet and decided to merge the teams and also the management. One of the opposing camps has been raising the issue of legitimacy of the elections held, but we all know the price of 'democracy' especially when you decide to boycott the polls. As such the official management team is as follows;

Chairman - Julius Ochiel
Executive Director - Micah Luvutse
Logistics Manager - Gilbert Selebwa
Chief Steward - Edward Mulanda
Technical bench comprises of ;
Technical Director – Chris Makokha
Team Manager – Tony Lidonde
Head Coach – Jean Marie Abeels from Belgium
First Assistant Coach – Roberto Bollen from Brazil
Second Assistant Coach – Charles Bushira
Physiotherapist – Aggrey Omune

As for Nick Yakhama, the axe seems to have landed on him heavily and especially because of the taking of sides when things almost got out of hand. It doesn't bode well for any technician to start voicing your opinion rather too loudly. You can ask the English Premiership League and other European Leagues managers.

SIDE-NOTE:
- The ongoing imbroglio seems to have raised the profile of the SuperCup game between AFC Leopards {winners of Kenya (formerly President's) Cup 2009} & Sofapaka (Kenya Premier League winners 2009) to be played on February 6th 2010 and to be screened on SuperSport.
- There is also the small matter of the continental challenge starting with the Ethiopians on February 14th.

Stadia Renovations - Are we that blind to opportunities?

Reading from the Press reports, initially I thought it was a joke but our Sports Stadia Management Board chair one Benjamin Sogomo ( guy always looks shifty from back in the days of the Kenyan education crises), confirmed my fears.
In a year when we shall witness a myriad of sporting activities across the continent and even expected to host some in our own backyard, the Board has decided to shut down the Kasarani complex for renovations. OK, there are some places that needed urgent works but that's why we needed to have planned for these like 2 years ago and sort this by last year.
With the 2010 World Cup coming, this would have been a perfect pitch for selling the venue to at least one or two qualified nations to use for their residential training before proceeding down South. Gold-mine !
There are also continental championships coming up such as the junior athletics and continental volleyball games in July & August and swimming championships in the last quarter of the year. What do they say? "...they will have to held elsewhere". I remember with bitterness how we missed out hosting the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (I'd a free 2-months planned for it only for the Kenyan government to claim 'they didn't have enough money to host it,losing out to eventual winners South Africa - the words of then Minister for Culture & Social Affairs one Maalim Mohammed still ring in my ears ****!!!!)
If we look at the other possibilities that we'd have to host any meaningful championships, they can't out-number the fingers of my hand...thanks again to our own internal wars in early 2008 (Afraha Stadium - Nakuru & Eldoret's Keino Stadium) and sheer neglect coupled with the grabbing culture (such as is at Ruringu Stadium -Nyeri)
Is it that we have such myopic leadership in some of these ministries or is just a Kenyan thing to shoot ourselves in the foot every so often? It really hurts to see some sports generate some positive light and make huge strides only for the Government-managed bodies to stifle these developments and stagger our progress. At this rate we should explore possibilities of privatising the Sports Stadia Management Board. Remember the Nyayo Stadium & Coca-Cola fiasco? All the more we should hasten this...

Africa Cup of Nations 2010 - Boys to Men

Starting on the wrong footing, Africa's first major sporting milestone this year has seen some interest from football enthusiasts across the continent. Of course we can't rule out the critics such as Hull City's Phil Brown who even started criticizing the 2010 World Cup while he can't place where some countries are at on the African map.
True the tournament's seen its share of mis-steps again due to the fragile nature of Angola's infrastructure and security arrangements. But as they say, this is Africa ! (my fairy tale one though!)
Getting into the games proper, we were treated to a goal fest in the opening match and though the underdogs seemed to have stepped up their game, the usual suspects are quickly getting back the order of things. Thursday's games shall see the final 2 teams qualify for the quarter-finals.
The main concern though has been the poor show by the continent's World Cup representatives with 1 nation on the verge of elimination - Cameroon unless they win against Tunisia today. Another concern, is there seems to be less talent coming from the other country's - maybe they are getting warmed up for the quarters & semis but from what we've seen, we don't have as much world-beaters as we portend.
Crowds watching the games- South Africa should be taking notes. During the Angola - Algeria game, there were parts of the upper stadium that were almost empty. Serious concerns if you are to make any revenues from the ticketing.
Ad campaigns and sponsorships - some of the major apparel companies seem to have shunned the continent leaving Puma to hold forte in almost all the top teams. Maybe it's a lack of confidence in the teams' abilities or Puma has offered lucrative deals. Only Nigeria's wearing another company's outfit. Still on this, the media campaigns have the usual African colourful works but don't quite inspire (me) into thinking Pan-African.
All in all, the next one week will see out the finals of this tournament which FIFA & CAF ought to seriously think about. The 2-year cycle's too monotonous and maybe that's why it can't attract major sponsors. It also destabilises clubs not just in the African leagues but also the European ones -where some of the managers have made quite a critique as well. It will also help host nation's prepare and avoid fiascos of building fancy stadiums only for these to remain empty and decrepit on the tournaments' ending.
Keep watching your favourite team though and may the best Kings of Africa win !
For your reading pleasure, check this too, soccer wars !

2-0-1-0

Don't you like the way this year just rolls out the tongue? Methinks we are upto something good (unless of course we keep seeing headlines like what the funny Kenyan MPs may receive if the recommendations go through).
Sporting activities and opportunities are already in the pipeline and of course have the big one in June-July. Kenya shall also host a few events and though we might not reap as much boon from the World Cup and its crumbs, we shall feature prominently as is the case in the rugby 7s, swimming, continental club football (that's if we can move beyond the 1st & 2nd round to Africa Club Champions League proper) among others.
We shall hope to give you the best of our insights and keep you posted on the whys and wherefores of some of the happenings. Watch out too for live coverage (unless technical issues challenge us like it happened last year during the SOYA Awards at KICC).

Great year , shouldn't it be ?

SOYA Awards - SportsKenya Take !

With less than 24hr to go for this year's Sports personality Of the Year Award (SOYA) about to take place at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), we have come up with our list of winners ( nothing scientific there...), let's see how this compares with tomorrow's winners, at least in the top categories.
Starting with
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Benjamin Ayimba - Kenya Rugby 7s coach - without a doubt, this man has managed to put Kenya firmly among the top 6 in the IRB Sevens Circuit and even came within touching distance of the Rugby World Cup 7s in Dubai.Formerly a 7s player, he has led from the front and taken the brunt when the team doesn't perform as witnessed in 2008 when the 2008/9 IRB Circuit started with dismal performances. Sofapaka's Robert Matano would come a close second, playing the Premier League in the first season and winning it, special!

OUTSTANDING SPORTS ASSOCIATION/FEDERATION:
It might be controversial but I go with the Kenya Rugby Football Union. Reasons being, they managed to stage the Junior World Rugby tournament, supported the Olympic bid for having the 7s game included as a Olympics in 2016 in Brazil (which sailed through), securing new (and loaded)sponsorship for the Safari Sevens tournament and 7s team too. The 15-a-side maybe their Achilles heel, but for the 7s, give it to them, they have put a fair show.

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR:
World champion , Linet Masai takes the cake here. She managed to upstage the Ethiopians and ran such a tactical race that we had not given her a chance to win it. ensured that the Kenyan women maintained the tempo and brought the country at least 2 more gold medals just like their male counterparts.

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR:
Rugby comes through for the 3rd time and this time it's the star of the year Collins Injera. Finishing as top scorer in the IRB Sevens circuit in the 2008/9 season and losing out narrowly in the IRB Sevens Player of the Year award shows the pedigree this gent has.He was hinted to have gotten prospects of playing professional games in France and South Africa but I guess he's decided to hack it out in the local scene. He has managed to secure endorsement from top mobile firm Nokia and boy do the ladies love this guy, check his Facebook fan-page.



SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN):
It's a tricky one, but I'd put money on the Kenya Commercial Bank women's club at the front. This is after the team lost out to eventual winners Al Ahly of Egypt but upset the form book to displace Kenya Pipeline and Prisons clubs at the pecking order of volleyball in Kenya.

SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN):
This squarely lays with Sofapaka football team. The 7s team may claim a right as well as the athletics team but Sofapaka beats them all since they ultimately won the Kenya Premier League - football - in their first outing. Given the chaotic football scene, coming up with a team and managing to give established teams with sizeable fan-bases; Sofapaka kept their cool. They play in next year's African Champions League with money in the bank.

Those are but our thoughts. Nominations were handed in and let's see who takes what home, the winners of the Sportsman & Sportswoman of the Year take a prize money tag of KSh. 150,000. Who's in and who's not? See you tomorrow at KICC!

KPL Football Awards - Why the Rush ?

I'm wondering why these Kenya Premier League guys had to hold their awards ceremony rather hurriedly. With SOYA Awards coming up on Friday and CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup about to end, I thought they'd work with the CECAFA Secretariat and have joint ceremonies.
Our Kenyan managers badly need some professionalism inculcated and maybe just maybe, we might count a few more lucky turns in the next few years. Again, just my thoughts !

East African Classic Safari

The dust's finally settled down at the Coast and in the North Eastern part of Tanzania. While the locals may claim victory, a lot needs to done for the rally to really connect with Kenyans the way the main one did.
First, there has to be a substantial number of prominent drivers (former winners can get leeway here). Local drivers could be an added attraction and indigenous ones at that. The Patrick Njirus and Jonathan Toroitichs of this part of the world did a great deal of a PR job for the rally, they can come back and return the favour to the Classic version.
I am also wondering if the organisers could consider covering more than two East African country, and venture into Uganda as well. This is the whole essence of the East Africa and I'm sure our colonial masters did enjoy their rendezvous back in the day. We could offer the same to our present day rally enthusiasts and make it a one-of-its kind.
Considering Africa's loss of two major races from The Safari Rally and Paris-Dakar Rally, we need to work within ourselves and make it happen. We can't wait for the WRC technocrats.

Gor Mahia to unveil new shirt for 2010 season

After making it to the top 4 (and maybe still sneak into 3rd position), the Kenyan club with some of the most fervent support in the country unveils new uniform. Given that they might get an outside chance to play in the regional tournament, the club is set to be presented with the kit by the country's PM.

A flurry of activity has started as clubs look to position themselves for the next season and most clubs have been sending feelers to corporations who are starting to soften their stance towards sports and more specifically football. We'll watch and see what happens where.

2010 World Cup:
The final 6 slots to the World Cup in South Africa are decided tonight. The fixtures that stand out are France v/s Ireland and Egypt v/s Algeria. I foresee an upset in one or both. But then again,that's the armchair analyst in me talking !

Breaking News :Football - Telkom Kenya wants in too !

Telkom Kenya has today added to the list of Kenyan corporates who are finally waking up to the reality of sports sponsorship. In a gesture towards CECAFA which was previously enjoying sponsorship from GTV ( Gateway Services)- which has since wound up, this is a major boost in confidence to the local and regional football fraternity.
Beating the deadline for hosting the tournament, Kenya almost dithered with the chance but thanks to some inspiration from the CECAFA Secretariat led by one Nicholas Musonye. The tournament will run in Nairobi and Mumias from November 28th to December 13th 2009. With KFF or KPL (or whoever runs football locally, I seem to get lost all the time) almost grounding our chances in the continental championships, let's hope the regional cup can be ours for the taking. Better watch out though for Rwanda and Tanzania...

Out Goes Virgin Air, In Come Kenya Airways

With rugby slowly trying to upstage athletics as the more lucrative sport in terms of sponsorship, the weekend was another milestone especially for the 7s. Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) penned a deal with Kenya Airways to be their official shirt sponsors to the tune of KSh. 15 million for 2 years.

Logo courtesy of Kenya Airways


Out with the old and in comes the new. After seeing the mileage Virgin Atlantic gained by having the Kenyan boys wear the shirts, it was only natural that once Virgin's deal was over, a major Kenyan firm would take over. The package includes flying the team across the different cities (where possible). Good thing going thus far !
My concern though is the fact that we had to wait and see what Virgin would do (and gain) then we reacted to that. Why does it take foreign companies to realise that we can do more to sport than we currently are? There is just enough to spend on sport that would go a long way in changing the course for most these and the participants.
I also hope the boys keep their feet on the ground and grace us with some outstanding performances this time gunning for the top 4 finish in the IRB circuit (and hopefully a series win or two!).Ayimba kazi kwako !
Let's see more proactive corporates come forward. 2010's bound to be an interesting year for sport !

Branding in Sports : Lessons from Usain Bolt

(Photos courtesy of NMG & Reuters)

He came, he saw, he conquered. Just like he's done on the 100 & 200m tracks, this athletics wonder-kid was at it again when he landed last week. He was even accorded audience with the powers-that-be, at one point even jokingly patting the Head-of State as they addressed the Press.
What do we learn from this?
1. Put a class act on the field :- Even before thinking of any antics (like Bolt gestures to cameras as he tries to calm his nerves) let your performances speak for themselves. Not just ordinary, EXCEPTIONAL !
2. Consistency :- In sports as in many things in life, consistency is a very important thing. This helps you remain relevant among the clutter of events you maybe participating in.
3. Committed :- Do not engage your fans if you are not committed to your sport. Fans will always see through any nonchalance and mediocrity means suicide not just among your fans but the purses too ( you can ask Mike Tyson).
4. Commit to a Cause :- As much as possible, commit to a cause beyond your sporting exploits. This helps you focus energies in the chosen cause and also helps stay grounded instead of engaging in harmful exploits and stuff that may cost you.
5. Flamboyance :- Though it may sound like a bad idea, be flamboyant in a nice way. We all know there are athletes, sports heroes who excel in their sport. But the GREATEST always EXCEL in their SHOWMANSHIP. Jordan, Ali and McEnroe are just some of those I can mention here.
6. Invincibility :- This is closely related to consistency. If you achieve the unachievable, please do not let us see your weaknesses. The minute we start seeing you tottering like a has-been gone is your hero status. Maradona in the 1994 World Cup is a good example here( maybe even NBA's Allen Iverson)

7. Smart Sponsorship(s):- As much as possible, DO NOT choose irrelevant products or brands to endorse.If they do not align with your goals and are not taking the extra mile to be what it takes, you go down with their premise. Be smart while choosing this.

Kenya Open – New Deal

Starting next year, Kenya's golfing premiere event will see a new sponsor following cancellation of Kenya Breweries flagship brand Tusker withdrawal (see previous article below). Kenya Golf Union's chairman said this after signing a deal with Icon Sports Marketing who has been given exclusive rights to find sponsors for next year's event. Icon Sports Marketing is a brainchild of Grace Kiraguri (she of Bamburi Cement and also actively involved in Rugby Safari Sevens) and Sam Mwai previously with Sports Stadia Management Board is part of the team. They have an enormous task of ensuring booty of KShs. 35 million to successfully host the event at the Muthaiga Golf Club. Incidentally Sam Mwai was once a staffer at the Golf Club so they should be in good company and this should not be a hard sell for them

Puzzling as it, unconfirmed reports have it that EABL has withdrawn from all sponsorships. Suicidal if you ask me!