Renowned coaches, David Koskei and Gregory Kilonzo stand banned by Athletics Kenya (AK) with athletes who train under them no longer eligible to compete.
Making the announcement on the sidelines of unveiling the 2009/2010 athletics calendar yesterday, AK chief, Isaiah Kiplagat, also stressed the federation is the custodian of rules governing training camps.
"The governing council has decided to close Kiptenden Athletics Club and also removed Kilonzo and Koskei from the roll of coaches. We are wielding the stick and these two are example to others.
"AK can close a camp, dismiss the management of any club and oversee how they are run. We have set an implementation committee led by (national treasurer, Joseph) Kinyua to visit all camps countrywide to ensure they are up to standards," Kiplagat charged while warning coaches, teachers and agents who collude to sneak out junior talent of dire consequences.
Koskei, who runs the Kericho-based Kiptenden Athletics club, has nurtured prodigious talent such as world junior/youth 3,000m champion, Mercy Cherono among others.
AK also accuses him of inappropriate relationships with his charges while Kilonzo, who has coached among others, Olympics 800m champion, Pamela Jelimo ,was sanctioned for allegedly facilitating travel of junior runners without consent from federation.
In supporting AK’s tough stance, Director of Quality Assurance at Ministry of Education, Enos Oyaya, who is also an AK council member said: "Children under 18 are assumed to be under our care since 99 per cent are in school. We clear young runners and teachers to travel through AK."
At the same time, few changes have been made on next season’s calendar in a bid to offer AK sponsors value for their input. The amendments mostly affect the national track and field six meet series.
The first New KCC/AK track and field meeting in Kisumu (March 5 and 6) will be an open competition for sprints, relays, medley relays and field athletes only. The 5th meet in Mombasa (May 7 and 8) will now be an invitational event for the same disciplines.
The second (March 19 and 20), 3rd (April 2 and 3) and 4th (April 14 and 16) weekends meets in Nyeri, Nakuru and Mumias will be open to track and field athletes but the 6th and final in Eldoret (May 14 to 16) will be an inviatitional affair for top performers in other rounds only.
Also changed is the June 16 and 17 Kenya Colleges and Schools Triangular Championships at Nyayo Stadium will be used as the selection event for the July 20 to 25 World Juniors in Moncton, Canada.
key dates
Key dates in the new calendar include National Cross-Country Championships cum Trials on February 20 for the Bydgoszcz, Poland World Cross (March 28) and National Athletics Championships cum Trials (June 24 to 26) for the Africa Championships in Athletics (July 28 to August 1) to be held in Nairobi.
Trials for the October 6 to 12 Commonwealth Games in Mumbai will be staged on August 28 with the 2nd Sotokoto Safari Marathon (May 24) and 8th Stanchart Nairobi International Marathon (October 24) among other highlight events.
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