I will start with the good news: Cricket Kenya has set up a website. That is good development to Kenyan sports as it adds to only a handful of other associations adopting global best practices. A key indicator of this owning and managing online media platforms.
The Kenyan Premier League Limited, its affiliate clubs, Kenya Golf Union, Kenya Motor Sports Foundation (www.motorsportkenya.com), Kenya Rugby Union(www.kenyarfu.com), Jockey Club of Kenya and Nairobi Polo Association, are only among the few sports associations with well-running websites.
Individual clubs seem to understand this concept more than their umbrella federations.
This is the way to go. Whether they like it or not, anybody, corporate or otherwise, worth its salt must have a website to up-date clients and members on the issues like profits and losses, performance, goals scored, red/yellow cards, membership, athletes’/nation’s global rankings, etc.
I won’t apologise for being vocal about associations having websites. Keep it up Cricket Kenya. Now I won’t visit ESPNCricinfo.com to keep abreast of Kenyan cricket news. I was able to follow the Kenyan Under-19 team’s performance, and the Western Kenya mini-cricket where Nanderema School reigned supreme. Hats off to those who have espoused this novelty. Shame on those who have not appreciated the simple logic.
The other positive news this week was the awarding ofCecafa Clubs Cup tournament to Sudanese towns of Darfur and South Gordofan. This is taking the world’s most popular game to new frontiers, areas that are known more for war and famine than anything positive.
Football unites a people even under very challenging times. This move by Cecafa, through its hard working secretary general Nicholas Musonye, to take regional football to this part of the region, will spur their Government to build infrastructure. The winners will be Sudanese youth and football.
Next time, try co-hosting between Southern Sudanese and Sudan’s cities to thaw the tense relations between the two warring neighbours.
Now the bad news. The firing of Rishadi Shedu by Bandari, coming shortly after that of Tom Olaba at AFC Leopards, don’t augur well for the development of football.
What guarantee do these club coaches have for job security? Jan Koops was fired by Leopards in not dissimilar circumstances, amid reports that his terms of employment were thrown to the dustbin.
Clubs have a right to demand their share of the deal. But how are these contracts drafted? Do they give clubs a leeway to get away with breaches of contracts?
Those who watched Shedu terrorise defenders, either playing for Re-Union or KTM, including Ben Oloo ‘Breakdance’, who was among those who showed him the door at Bandari, should treat Shedu him with respect.
Olaba, another former illustrious player, who often outjumped defenders and deftly outwitted goalkeepers, deserve to be treated with decorum.
Kenyan Premier League should have a hand in those contracts.
And did I hear that Sepp Blatter will again defend Fifa’s Presidency? He argues that unless he finds somebody who can complete the reform agenda, he won’t quit.
God help our beautiful game.
Lastly, Athletics Kenya elections are entering a crucial stage on Tuesday. Whether teachers have conspired again, as they did in Kenya Basketball Federation, which they have controlled in the past 15 years, is not the issue. Teachers play a big role in identifying talent and nurturing it anyway.
But AK should follow its constitution, especially on eligibility. Athletes representatives are running for AK positions. That is the vilest, if rawest, manifestation of impunity, which AK must not condone.
By Omulo Okoth, The Standard