NOC-K executives’ new mandate merited, the real work begins now

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya has just concluded a highly contested but equally successful elections this week to install a new team that will steer the national body to what the re-elected and an unopposed President Paul Tergat, termed, “greatness”.

This is not an empty declaration by the legendary athlete and gentleman of running, if the milestones of his first term as President of NOC-K are anything to go by. A national Olympics body of repute and respect across the continent and beyond has emerged during the last four years since the Rio infamy of 2016.

The gains made in governance, especially streamlining the operations and management of the affairs, were evident during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ preparations and participation.

Despite the presence of a global pandemic, Covid-19, Team Kenya were able to enjoy an extended and secure local residential training bubble camp and a foreign acclimatisation one before the Games at Kurume City in Japan; seamless logistics in travel and accommodation as well as timely payments of their dues, including the government’s reward and Nike bonus payment to the medallists.

In a departure from the past, Team Kenya, irrespective of their performances, were feted by NOC-K and its partner, Kenya Breweries’  Tusker brand in Nairobi. 

This was later followed by a glamourous Gala that was preceded by day’s life-skills’  training in Eldoret, the “Home of Champions.”

This was in recognition of their efforts in making Kenya a highly visible brand at the global stage, as experienced when the country’s national anthem played twice during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — a highly premium marketing opportunity.

Other notable milestones that played a major role in the re-election of the entire NOC-K executive include being able to restore and grow relationships with core partners such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the top level, the continental Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the kitting and apparel US conglomerate, Oregon-based Nike.

Locally, the central government was pivotal in resourcing the Team Kenya preparations to honour key international sports events, including qualifications pathway.

A growth in sponsorships and partnerships from local organisations did not go unnoticed by the members that voted for both continuity and visionary leadership to steer NOC-K to the growth trajectory during the next quadrennial.

These efforts and investments made, therefore, saw the re-elected executive, with the fresh and significant addition of Athletics Kenya Director of Youth Development, Barnaba Korir, acquit itself well from a scrutinising public that was highly skeptical on their ability to deliver on the NOC-K mandate, especially the just concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The fidelity to deliver on promises made paid off during the electoral congress presided over by the Centre for Corporate Governance as the Electoral Board. It now remains for the officials to burn the midnight oil to meet the higher expectations of the sports fraternity in the country, especially the athletes.

There have been increased incidences of athletes’ undergoing various adversities in and out of their athleticism, which calls for an emotionally sensitive and enlightened leadership to respond to their pressing needs.

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated this leading to stresses of diverse nature among the athletes. 

These include performance anxieties, financial downturns, travel restrictions to participate in equally reduced lucrative meets internationally as well as social pressures driven by modified lifestyles resulting from limited resources.

All these combine to produce mental challenges which manifest in extreme consequences and vices such as family breakdowns, homicides, doping and alcoholism.

With their work cut-out, Kenyans, especially sports stakeholders expect the Tergat-led team to hit the ground running to mobilise every human and material resource to get our athletes’ welfare occupy centre-stage in a very structured and sustainable manner.

Athletics Kenya, one of NOC-K’s member federations that got in an executive, have recently demonstrated a forward-looking and proactive engagement with the athletes, something that should be encouraged across the board.

The programmes that NOC-K initiated during its previous term to build the capacity of the athletes and their entourages through trainings must now be escalated and broadened in a manner that covers the entire country.

In this way, Tergat’s promise to prioritise youth development during the period at hand will gain tremendous long term traction and support, earning him and his executive a rich legacy by the end of the quadrennial.

Goodwill is a very slippery jewel that must be handled carefully through fulfilment and exceeding the expectations of a very enlightened, modern and dynamic generation of athletes and citizens in a technologically advanced global village.

The first term in office provided you with the tools to lay a solid foundation for take-off in this renewed mandate. Now is a moment to entrench and actualise the dreams and aspirations of Kenyan athletes and stakeholders for a robust sports scene fulfilling Kenya’s rich history of sporting prowess.

The author is the Executive Assistant at NOC-K and Sports Marketing Practitioner.