AK Officials to Meet Athletes in Regions

Athletics Kenya (AK) will hold a series of consultative meetings with local athletes in various zones to have a clearer understanding of the issues affecting them.

The meetings, dubbed “AK National Consultative Meetings” will enable officials to get feedback to inform remedial action.

In a departure from the past, AK will visit various zones (branches) to directly obtain views from almost all athletes rather than holding seminars and workshops at a central place.

The federation is of the view that inviting elite athletes for seminars and workshops in a central place with a view to getting views would lock out many runners who have pressing needs. In the recent past, local athletes have silently suffered abuse and mistreatment, while others have lost income after making poor investment decisions.

Last month, the 2015 World Cross Country gold medallist, Agnes Tirop, was found murdered at their home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

Her husband Ibrahim Rotich who is a key suspect is under police custody. Police have asked for more time to conclude investigations.

During Tirop’s burial at Kapnyemisa village in Nandi County, she was eulogised as a promising athlete whose star had just started shining. Speaker after speaker appealed for an end to gender-based violence.

In the first round of meetings, the officials will be in Ngong, Kajiado County Monday before the officials head to Machakos County on Tuesday, and Kigari in Embu on Wednesday.

The fourth meeting will be in Nyeri, followed by another in Nyahururu, Nyandarua County.

In the second round of meetings, the officials will visit Bomet, Kisii, Kericho and Keringet (Nakuru). The third round of meetings will take the AK team to Eldama Ravine in Baringo County, Kaptagat and Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

The fourth round of tour will involve visits to Kaptama in Mount Elgon (Bungoma County), Kapenguria in West Pokot County and Kapsabet in Nandi County.

Senior Vice President in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii, said that one day consultative meetings are being held going by what happened recently and there is need to get to the ground and listen to athletes’ views.

“Our approach this year is different from the conferences or seminars because we want to move to various regions and have a discussion with athletes on various issues with the most important being on their social issues. We will also not forget to talk about doping because we want to make sure we get out of category A,” said Mutwii.

Mutwii also said that athletes will be free to attend the one-day event with their spouses as one way of bringing the athletics fraternity together and make the sport better.

“Because we want to reach as many athletes as possible, we shall be having a one-day event and it shall be an open forum where athletes are free to attend with their spouses and the coaches as well where we shall make sure we respect athletes’ decisions and their views,” added Mutwii