Kenya shooting team risk missing Paris Olympic qualifiers
Frome left to right: National shooting team members, Maurice Morara ,Priscilla Wangui, Sanford Otundo and David Kirui after their training session on March 10 ,2021 at Kenya Regiment Rifle Club in Langata.
What you need to know:
- A worried Kenya Sports Shooting Federation (KSSF) chairman Shoiab Vayani said that efforts to get funds from the government have proved futile despite submitting their budget of Sh15 million in June last year
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allocated Africa 16 places in 12 events at the Paris Summer Games from the continental championships that are scheduled to end on October 10
- The team of 12 shooters-six men and five women- and three officials was scheduled to leave the country on Friday night for the 10-day competition but things look bleak
Kenya’s chances of qualifying shooters for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are in jeopardy with the team likely to miss the Africa Shooting Championships starting Sunday in Cairo.
A worried Kenya Sports Shooting Federation (KSSF) chairman Shoiab Vayani said that efforts to get funds from the government have proved futile despite submitting their budget of Sh15 million in June last year.
However, Director of Sports Gerald Gitonga said in a telephone interview that the issue was still being handled and that KSSF should be patient.
“We are handling the matter and these are things we can’t discuss on phone,” said Gitonga.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allocated Africa 16 places in 12 events at the Paris Summer Games from the continental championships that are scheduled to end on October 10.
The team of 12 shooters-six men and five women- and three officials was scheduled to leave the country on Friday night for the 10-day competition but things look bleak.
The championships will feature men and women’s Air Rifle, Rifle Three Position, Air Pistol, Skeet and Trap. Also on the card are men’s Rapid Fire Pistol and women’s 25m Pistol.
“We are in a dilemma now with only a few days to the championships,” said Vayani, adding that they were assured that the team will be funded when they paid a courtesy call to Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba and his predecessor Amina Mohamed.
“We have reviewed the budget drastically but an official at the ministry said that there are no funds verbally even though they haven’t written to us officially,” said Vayani.
“Time is running out and there will be repercussions if we are to withdraw at the last minute,” explained Vayani, adding that it will be disappointing and demoralising if the shooters who have been preparing for the last one year fail to feature in the continental championships.
Gitionga discounted the reports that the ministry doesn’t have funds. “That is not true,” said Gitonga.
Fast-rising Priscilla Wangui, who is on Olympic Solidarity scholarship, could end up as Kenya’s only representative in Cairo if KSSF fails to secure funds from the government.
Anuj Desai was the last Kenyan to compete in shooting at the Olympic Games during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Desai featured in 50metre rifle prone where he failed to advance to the final, finishing 49th overall.
