Mutwiri Mutuota for the Standard Baffling decisions took centre stage as Athletics Kenya (AK) flexed their authority with a number of conflicting judgements pertaining to 10,000m teams for August World Championships in Berlin.The first intriguing verdict saw German agent, Walker Vagner, banned from representing the country’s athletes while his co-accused Italian Gianni Demadonna was let off the hook.
Vagner was found culpable at an AK executive meeting on Tuesday of entering 10,000m select runner for Berlin, Sammy Kitwara, at the Peachtree Road Race 10km event in Atlanta earlier this month.
Demadonna was cleared of similar charges at the same gathering after his client and another World Championships 10,000m runner, Gideon Ngatuny, fielded and won Sapporo Half Marathon.
Last week, both managers were indefinitely suspended alongside Wagner.
Press briefing
"We accepted Demadonna’s explanation that his team in Japan had entered Ngatuny at the race without his knowledge," AK chief said at a press briefing yesterday.
In Ngatuny’s case, AK turned their whip against his Japanese corporate employers, Team Nissin Shokuhin, and their coach Okamura Nakashi.
"We have written a letter to Japanese Athletics Association asking them to discipline the team and their coach," Kiplagat charged.
Curiously, two local coaches, Gregory Kilonzo and David Kosgei who remain indefinitely suspended and work with Demadonna were given a week to explain to AK why two junior athletes under their care left the country to compete in Europe without permission.
Kosgei and Kilonzo are accused of sending Africa Junior Championships runner, Elizabeth Mueni to compete in Oslo without clearance and Hilda Kibet who is also out of the country.
Widely expected
As widely expected, Olympics bronze medallist, Micah Kogo and the man who finished a place behind him in the Olympics 10,000m final were drafted to the national team in place of Kitwara and Ngatuny who were punished for competing in road races after selection.
World 10km record holder, Kogo and Masai join Bernard Kipyego in the men’s 10,000m squad for Berlin.
Masai’s younger sister and World Cross senior silver medallist, Linet remains the only female 10,000m runner drafted to the Berlin squad.
This is after AK ruled out inclusion of second finisher at the trials, Lineth Chepkurui, who qualified for Berlin last weekend at British National Championships in Birmingham.
"Although she qualified, the time she ran (31:31.92) is her personal best in 10,000m and we do not foresee her improving it in Berlin," was the curious explanation offered by Kiplagat for withdrawing the fourth finisher at Amman World Cross from the travelling party.
"After the trials, we shall consider one of the 5,000m qualifiers to double in 10,000m," the chair added.
On Monday, all indication was Chepkurui would be added to the squad after shrugging off injury but AK refuted reports she was to take up her place in the team.
This is despite Chepkurui meeting the conditions set for her to take up her place in the team by running under the A-standard (31:45.00) for Berlin.
ShareThis