Be cautious when enlisting for international races

It is now 99 days before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics at the National Olympic Stadium on August 24. 

For many sports persons who have already qualified for the Olympics, the four months or so remaining require meticulous planning to avoid any injuries that may put paid to the Olympic dreams.

There are also many more who are hoping to secure their tickets and as such, they are pitting their wits against other international athletes.

As Athletics Kenya, we share the same vision as that of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), which is to engineer Kenya’s best ever performance at the Olympics through a never-seen-before medal haul. The more the merrier.  The more representatives we have in Tokyo, the more medal chances we have. 

However, the current suspension of sporting activities countrywide due to Covid-19 has disrupted many local athletics competitions where Kenyan athletes would have had a shot at the Olympics. Even as athletes shift focus to various international events in search of qualification, a word of caution is necessary.

The recent case of Ferdinand Omanyala highlights the perils of participating in an unsanctioned race.
Although he clocked 10.01 at an invitational race in Nigeria, his record cannot be ratified nor his qualification to the Olympics secured because the meet was not authorised or recognised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

Conducting due diligence with AK can forestall such disappointments as we will be able to check with the host federations on the authenticity of such events. Also, athletes should ensure they are qualified to compete in the events, according to the rules of World Athletics. The member federation from where the athlete hails must also gather the necessary information from the country where the world, regional or national record has been broken. Also required for ratification of a record are entire results of the race, photo finish as well as the programme of the whole event.

It may seem unfair, but these rules are stipulated to guard against fraudsters who may capitalise on athletes’ talents on the field and track to make a kill. 

Despite the lull in sporting activities countrywide, AK remains committed to taking as many athletes as possible to the Tokyo Olympics.

We are on the lookout for sanctioned international events and will not hesitate to enlist the relevant athletes into such competitions.

There is no need to hit the panic button yet. There are more international races to come in addition to local events that will resume once the suspension on sports is lifted.