With the nature of preferred terrain, there is a talk though that this will be another Tapio Laukkanen rally with the ‘Flying Finn’ determined to add his name to the Guru roll of honor for the second year running.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 22 – Rally crews are excited that the final round of the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) to take place on Saturday will run exclusively on private land.

But anticipated shots rains would mean change of tact on volcanic ash terrain on Soysambu Conservancy and Naivasha’s Aberdare Hills Golf Resort which will play host to the designated spectator viewing point.

With the nature of preferred terrain, there is a talk though that this will be another Tapio Laukkanen rally with the  ‘Flying Finn’ determined to add his name to the Guru roll of honor for the second year running.

Tapio is chasing his fifth win of the season after clearing the ground with all his opponents on the season-opening rally of Kajiado, Nanyuki, Eldoret and Wundanyi. Tapio has since set stratospheric standards that local big guns are struggling to match even with ultra modern top-of-the-range machines

The ‘Flying Finn’ -by and large- the most successful driver this season with four wins from seven starts, admitted to a flat-out but cautious approach in an event  that will be his last in the crowd pleasing Subaru GVB13.

“I am taking everything just as seriously,” Tapio said adding: “I will drive sensibly fast on Guru and see how it goes.”

Tanzania’s Hari Singh Racing of Dhabi siblings will be making their debut on Kenyan soil with high-tech machines. Rajpal and Gurjit Dhabi have entered the 2015 model of Subaru GVB of which Tapio runs a similar 2013 version.

Tapio has been linked to an Evolution 9 R4 contraption and will with effect from Guru sit with Alastair Cavenagh’s co-driver Gavin Laurence.

Ajminder Dhani has entered a Subaru N10 whilst Uganda’s three times former champion Ronald Sebuguzi will be navigated by compatriot Leon Senyange in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Sebu hopes to make amends in Kenya after retiring the on season-closing Mosac rally in Jinja at the weekend

Carl “Flash” Tundo has entered a Triumph classic car ostensibly to test-drive for the forthcoming Rift Valley Classic 1000 rally though ramous doing rounds in rallying circles indicate that the multiple Kenya and Safari champion might resort to his Rally Raid Milner R4 ‘monster’.

Former KNRC multiple champion Baldev Singh Chager hopes to make amends after a rather excruciating run on his very first year on the R4 Mitsubishi Evo 10. Chager has on sundry occasions conceded that the former Finland and British titleholder (Tapio) is out of this world.

“Every time anyone tries to catch up with him, he pulls away. I don’t really know where his limits are or how much faster he can go from what he is doing. The good thing is he has made us wake up. I think generally everybody has started driving faster just to get closer to Tapio more than anything else,” said Chager.

Entry List-KCB Guru Nanak Rally

1. Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Triumph)
2. Rajbir Rai/Greg Stead (Ford Fiesta R5)
3. Tapio Laukkanen/Gavin Laurence (Subaru GVB13)
4. Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Evolution 10)
5. Jassi Chatthe/Gugu Panesar (Evolution 10)
6. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch (Evolution 10)
7. Manvir Baryan/Drew Sturrock (Ford Fiesta R5)
8. Karan Patel/Shameer Yusuf (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)
9. Onkar Singh Rai/ Gareth Dawe (Mitsubishi Evolution 19)
10. Tejveer Rai/Zahir Shah (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)
11. Piero Cannobia/Sylvia Frigo (Evolution 10)
12. Jasmeet Chana/Ravinder Chana (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)
13. Amaanraj Rai/Tauseef Khan (Mitsubishi Evolution10)
14. Farhaaz Khan/ Keith Henrie (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)
15. Dennis Mwenda/Job Njiru (Mitsubishi Evolution9)
16. Asad Khan/Harshil Limbani (Subaru Impreza GC8)
17. Mahesh Halai/Ketan Halai (Subaru N12)
18. John Nganga/ Edward Njoroge (Subaru)
19. Eric Bengi/Tuta Mionki (Toyota RunX)
20. Tash Tundo/Chantal Louis Young (Subaru N10)
21. Chandrakhant Devji/Julius Mwachuya (Subaru GC8)
22. Sammy Nyorri/Mwangi Waithaka (Toyota RunX)
23. Leonardo Varese/Kigo Kareithi (Toyota Corolla RSI)
24. Alex Lairangi/Tony Gichohi (Toyota Sprinter GT)
25. Hapz Sagoo/Paren Hirani (Subaru N10)
26. Ammar Haq/Victor Okundi (Subaru)
27. Edward Maina/John Nganga (Subaru)
28. Osman Abdullahi/George Mwangi (Subaru N10)
29. Ramesh Vishram/Riyaz Ismail (Ford Escort MK2)
30. Geoff Mayes/Jamie Mactavish (Landover Discovery)
31. Sam Karangatha/Edwartd Ndukui (Subaru Leon)
32. Virdee D. Singh/Riaz Waqqas (Subaru Leon)
33. Minesh Rathod/Norris Ongalo (Evolution X)
34. Rajwinder Jutley/Andreas Kidane (Ford Escort Mk2)
35. Eugene Ngigi/Steve Mbuthia (Subaru)
36. Aakif Virani/Adnan Din (Subaru N16)
37. Izhar Mirza/Kavit Dave (Mitsubishi Evolution 9)
38. Daren Miranda/Wayne Fenerndes (Subaru GC3)
39. Gurjit Singh Dhani/Manmeet Singh (Subaru GVB15-TZ)
40. Rajpal Singh Dhani/Sinder Suddle (Subaru GVB 15-TZ)
41. Ajminder Singh Dhani/Absalom Aswani (Subaru N10-TZ)
42. Ronald Sebuguzi/ Leon Senyange (Mitsubishi Evolution 10 -UG)
43. Jansher Sandhu/Faisal Khan (Mitsubishi Evolution 9)

The post 43 drivers gear up for Guru Nanak Rally appeared first on Capital Sports.

Rosa Associati Director Federico Rosa in court when he was released on Sh 300,000 cash bail until July 14 in ongoing doping case.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 22 – A Nairobi court has acquitted top Italian athletics manager Federico Rosa who was facing doping charges after the State terminated the case on Tuesday.

A prosecutor told Kibera Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi that the Director of Public Prosecution had directed the case be withdrawn under Section 87A of the criminal procedure code.

“The hearing was to begin today but I have instructions to withdraw the case under Section 87A of the criminal procedure. The State wishes to conduct further investigations on the claims of doping,” State prosecutor Mary Wangele told the Court.

Federico, who manages top athletes in the country including three-time 1500m world champion Asbel Kiprop, was charged with six counts of doping in two cases filed by banned marathoner Rita Jeptoo and retired athlete Elijah Kiprono Boit.

Boit, who finished fourth at the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championship, was expected to testify on Wednesday after accusing the Rosa Associati director of injuring his reputation.

Boit had claimed Federico administered him banned substance between 2004 and 2008 in Italy while disgraced Jeptoo, who is serving a further two year ban for failing drugs test, alleged she was administered with the drug in 2004.

The prosecution had said in court documents that between 2004 and 2008 at Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County where Federico operates training camps, he administered a prohibited substance to Boit and Jeptoo.

The post Federico freed after prosecutor withdraws doping case appeared first on Capital Sports.

NOCK 1st vice-chairman Ben Ekumbo appearing before Nairobi Milimani Law Court Magistrate Teresah Nyangena on Tuesday morning after being arrested a day earlier from his Nairobi apartment in Westlands.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 22 – National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) 1st Vice-Chairman Ben Ekumbo will be detained for three days to enable police finalise their probe after Nike kits were seized at his home.

Ekumbo appeared before Nairobi Milimani Law Court Magistrate Teresah Nyangena on Tuesday morning after being arrested a day earlier from his Nairobi apartment in Westlands.

The prosecution wanted Ekumbo remanded for seven days to allow police complete investigations but the magistrate ruled that he be detained for three days at Muthaiga Police Station before he is charged.

The prosecution told court that police are still following crucial leads and will require more time before charges are preferred against the suspect.

State Prosecutor Eddy Kadebe said Ekumbo, who is also chairman of Kenya Swimming Federation is being investigated for theft, abuse of office and neglect of official duty.

Nock 1st vice-chairman (holding his head) when appearing before Nairobi Milimani Law Court.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

Ekumbo, who was the Deputy Chef-de-Misson for Team Kenya for the 2016 Olympic Games, becomes the fifth official to be arrested over the Rio debacle that saw allegedly Sh80m embezzled.

“From the time he was arrested and the time within which to conduct investigations had not been adequate and requires more time,” said Kadebe.

However, lawyer Stephen Muhia objected to the prosecution’s application, saying Ekumbo’s constitutional right to be released on bail will be breached.

He further stated that Ekumbo was leading a delegation to world swimming governing body FINA games since he was the chairman of Kenya Swimming Federation and detaining him will interfere with his official duties.

Among the items the prosecution claims Ekumbo was found with include Team Kenya’s official sweaters, tracks, Jackets, swimming googles, swimming jackets and other kits some of which were allegedly stolen way back in 2010.

The post NOCK vice-chair Ekumbo to be detained for 3 days appeared first on Capital Sports.

Sofapaka are set to appoint Sam Ssibwa as head coach.PHOTO/courtesy

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 22- After miraculously surviving relegation, Sofapaka are set to appoint Ugandan Sam Ssimbwa for a second stint at the club, having previously worked with Batoto ba Mungu between 2009 and 2010.

Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa has confirmed they have finalized talks with the tactician who has been in the country and watched Sofapaka’s last week of training before their miraculous escape from relegation.

“Ssimbwa is a person close to this club. When he was here, we disagreed on some matters, not related to performance but he apologized and we buried the hatchet. He is a coach who understands the team and we know he will take us back to the top,”

“We have had discussions with him and agreed on virtually everything. We are just waiting for the finer details to be set in place then we make his appointment official,” Kalekwa told Capital Sport.

Ssimbwa is serving an eight month ban from the Federation of Ugandan Football Associations (FUFA) for violation of its Regulations.

The FUFA Ethics committee slapped Ssimbwa with the ban in August ruling he conducted himself in an unethical manner and uttered statements that jeopardized the authenticity of results and integrity of matches as coach of KCCA FC.

Having spent 88 days already provisionally suspended, FUFA counted it as part of the ban and hence the period was reduced to five months, ending in December.

The tactician who coached the Somali national team, Express and Police FC in Uganda before joining KCCA is expected to start work at the club in January.

Meanwhile, Kalekwa has confirmed John Baraza will remain at the club as assistant coach, disclosing they are prepared to sponsor the former Kenyan international for advanced coaching courses to further his knowledge.

“Baraza is a man who has been with us for a very long time. He won the league with us in 2009, has won the golden boot three times and now here he is, saving us from relegation. He is part and parcel of this club and if an opportunity comes for him to further his coaching credentials, as a club we will sponsor that,” Kalekwa said.

After spending most of the season dwindling in the bottom of the log, Sofapaka pulled a miraculous escape with a final day 5-1 win over Thika United, coupled with a 3-1 loss for Ushuru FC at the hands of Posta Rangers.

Kalekwa has also confirmed they will seek to maintain the same team that saved them from relegation, but confirmed they will make quality additions as they seek better performance in 2017.

The post Sofapaka to appoint Ssimbwa for second stint appeared first on Capital Sports.

“We negotiated contracts that did not have the bonuses however, our CEO Ronald Bukusi is away on sick leave in USA and he may have negotiated and signed contracts that included the bonus scheme because we are yet to get a full brief from him,” Omwela said. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 22 – Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) boss Richard Omwela is confident an amicable solution will be reached between the board and Kenya Sevens players over bonus arrears.

KRU owe players over Sh15m bonus arrears from the 2015/16 season, seeing the Shujaa players boycott Tuesday’s shirt sponsorship announcement between SportPesa and KRU where the betting firm committed Sh607m.

Despite being invited, the men’s team failed to turn up for the launch, forcing KRU to use Kenya Lionesses to model the new shirt that has SportPesa’s name on the front side.

Despite the bonus scheme being in existence since 2011, Omwela said they had negotiated contracts that did not have the bonuses when the Kenya Airways deal was renewed.

“We negotiated contracts that did not have the bonuses.  However, our CEO Ronald Bukusi is away on sick leave in USA and he may have negotiated and signed contracts that included the bonus scheme because we are yet to get a full brief from him,” Omwela said.

The Kenya Lionesses team displaying the SportPesa new kit during the launch.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

“But we as a board we are a responsible employer and if a scheme was in the contract, then it becomes binding on the Union. Over the last couple of days the vice chairman and Squads Director have been talking to the players in respective of those bonuses because it took us by surprise to understand there were bonuses when we didn’t know about it,” he added.

“We have engaged the players and we continue talking to them and we hope that we will be able to reach an amicable solution to the issue. If the contract is there we as a responsible Union we will find a way to meet the players demands based on our financial ability.”

The hefty bonus is Sh500,000 ($5,000) that the team is demanding after lifting their first ever HSBC Sevens World Series Main Cup title at last season’s Singapore Sevens.

However, head coach Innocent Simiyu says he knows nothing about the bonus row but said he will support the players decisions.

Kenya Sevens head coach Innocent Simiyu during the KRU, SportPesa launch.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.

Simiyu will on Thursday select his first ever squad that will do duty at the 2016/17 World Rugby Season opener in Dubai on the weekend Of December 2.

“I have not been informed about go-slow because we have had training this morning. Players are contracted individually and if they make that decision I will respect it, but for me I’m concentrating on fielding a team for Dubai,” Simiyu stated.

“We don’t have any major injury concerns of we are looking in regards to fitness and also looking at health and the conduct in terms of training attendance which will be key in selecting the team.”

Kenya is drawn in a tough Pool D in Dubai Sevens alongside Australia, France and Japan.

The post Bonus arrears took us by surprise -KRU boss appeared first on Capital Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama.PHOTO/courtesy.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21- Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama and striker Jesse Were have missed out as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released its shortlist of five for the African Player of the Year and the African Player of the Year based in Africa on Tuesday.

Wanyama, was named in the player of the year shortlist while Were who scored four goals in Zesco United’s run to the semi-final of the CAF Champions League was nominated in the initial list of the best players based in Africa.

Leicester City’s duo of Islam Silimani and Riyad Mahrez lead the shortlist of the player of the year with the list also including Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, reigning player of the year Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and AS Roma’s Egyptian star Mohammed Salah.

Leicester’s Mahrez is seen as one of the front runners for the award having been one of the key components in his club’s historic run to the English Premier League title last season.

Mahrez was named the PFA players’ player of the year, becoming the first African to win the award topping up to his 17 goals in the historic season. The winger was also influential in his Algerian national team’s run of qualifying for the 2017 African Cup of Nations unbeaten.

Holder Aubameyang however also has some impressive stats on his chest, having been named the Bundesliga Player of the Year and ended the season with 25 goals, five shy of top scorer Robert Lewandowski.

Egyptian Salah is also considered a prime candidate for the award having scored 14 goals in the Serie A last season, finishing fourth amongst the top scorers. He has started the current season on a high scoring eight goals in 11 games.

For the national team, Salah scored five goals in six games for the Egyptian national team in 2016, to take his tally to 27 for the national team as the Pharaohs qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2010.

African club champions Mamelodi Sundowns players have dominated the final shortlist for the best African players based in the continent, four players making the shortlist of five.

Ugandan goalkeeper Dennis Onyango leads the list that also has Zimbabwean striker Khama Billiat as well as the South African duo of Hlompho Kekana and Keegan Dolly.  Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba who led TP Mazembe to the CAF Confederations Cup title has also made the shortlist.

For the final phase, votes from the head coaches or technical directors of the 54 National Associations affiliated to CAF plus Associate Members, Reunion Island and Zanzibar, together with the other half of the 20-member Panel of Experts will be counted towards the determination of the eventual winners.

 The 2016 CAF Awards Gala, will be held on January 5 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The post Wanyama, Jesse miss out on CAF shortlist appeared first on Capital Sports.

Gor Mahia head coach Jose Marcelo Ferreira gestures during his side’s match against Mathare United on Sunday May 22 2016-PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – Gor Mahia head coach Jose Marcelo ‘Ze Maria’ has apologised to K’Ogalo fans after the club failed to defend the Kenyan Premier League title won by Tusker FC with a seven-point margin.

The Brazilian coach has promised to reclaim the title next season and says he has already laid out a plan to ensure they wrap up the title early in 2017.

“I am happy for my guys because we played well, only unlucky at some point. I am sorry for the fans because we didn’t win the league title this year or any tournament. Now we have to think about next season,” the tactician told Capital Sport.

Gor not only lost their fight to retain the league title but also surrendered the KPL Top 8 trophy after a 1-0 loss to Muhoroni Youth in the final and were bundled out of the GOtv Shield in the round of 16 by KPL bound Nzoia United to finish the season without any silverware for the first time since 2010.

Ze Maria joined Gor five matches into the new season and has blamed the club’s lacklustre start to the season as one of the reasons they failed to defend the title.

“When I came to Gor the team had lost 11 points in the first five matches and this is a lot of points to lose. Next season, we cannot afford to start like this. We have to be better. I have already talked to the management and told them what we need,” he added.

Gor Mahia’s technical bench led by Brazilian Jose ‘Zemaria’ Marcelo.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.

The coach is also scratching his head over five key players in his starting 11 whose contracts end in December. Rwandese Abouba Sibomana, Burundian Karim Nizigiyimana, left back Erick Ouma, striker Enock Agwanda and goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch all have their contracts ending.

“These are very important players for me and I talked to my chairman and told him we need to keep them. I am hoping they agree because we have to be strong next season.”

While the other four might be persuaded into new deals, Sibomana’s time at the club seems all but done having been dropped to the bench since the rise of youngster Ouma.

Sibomana has consequently lost his starting place in the Rwandese national team but, concerns over Ouma’s contract renewal mighty persuade him to stay.

The coach has plans to bring in six new players who he says will definitely add strength to the side in the new season.

“The office knows what this team needs to go up. We have talked about this. Some players will come, some will go. We need some midfielders, defenders especially full backs and another central. I have a list of around six players.”

The post Gor’s Ze Maria apologises for not winning title appeared first on Capital Sports.

Sofapaka FCHead Coach Dsvid Ouma having a discussion with members of his technical bench during a past match. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – At the end of the first leg, Sofapaka were deeply rooted at the bottom of the Kenyan Premier League table having won only two matches, losing 12 and drawing two; the 2009 league champions were seemingly heading for the drop.

Going by their nickname ‘Batoto ba Mungu’, their miraculous escape tells it all. A spirited run in the second leg, coupled by results falling in their favor saw them pull perhaps one of the greatest survival stories in the Kenyan Premier League.

Capital Sport has learnt that a training ground meeting over ‘Mbuzi Choma’ at the start of the second leg turned the club’s season around. It was the beginning of the end of their relegation nightmare.

The team decided to slaughter a goat at the team’s training ground to roast it as they discussed how to avoid relegation, a day they dedicated to a meeting rather than usual training.

“We sat down as players after we had lost back-to-back matches na tukaambiana ukweli (We told each other the truth). If we were to help this team, then we had no choice but to work hard and give our best. We had to sacrifice. That meeting is what changed our fortunes because after there, we were a different side,” George Maelo, one of the players recruited in mid-season as part of a Sofapaka ‘rescue team’ revealed.

The same sentiments were shared by the soft spoken John Baraza who was the miracle working coach who engineered Batoto ba Mungu’s grand survival.

“We were wondering because we had played well like for three matches and there was nothing happening. We decided let’s just put the boots aside for one day, sit down as a team, eat, pray and talk to one another. If there was anything preventing us from winning then it should go away. It worked,” Baraza who will deputize Ugandan Sam Ssimbwa next season said.

-Revival-

Sofapaka players congratulate Noah Abich for winning the SportPesa/SJAK Player of the Month Award.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

After losing the first three second leg games narrowly to Gor Mahia, Western Stima and Chemelil Sugar, Sofapaka picked successive draws against Kakamega Homeboyz and champions Tusker FC to spur their confidence.

Despite losing away to Bandari in Mombasa, they went on to pick twin wins for the first time in the season with huge victories against fellow strugglers. They beat City Stars 5-0 and Ushuru 2-0, coincidentally the only sides they beat in the first leg.

“There was no turning back because we looked at the pedigree of the team since we won the league in 2009 and we thought there was too much history to let go back into the second tier league,” Baraza told Capital Sport.

Also Read: Sofapaka survive, Ushuru relegated

It was the decision to recruit experienced faces, a group of players now called the ‘Sofapaka Rescue Team’ that is credited for their grand survival.

They brought back defender Johnson Bagoole from Uganda, his country mate and former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Mathews Kigonya who turned out to be a pillar in their relegation fight.

Also coming in were Maelo who was turning out for Police FC, Noah Abich who had been released by Mathare United, Moses ‘Dube’ Odhiambo who came through from Ushuru, former AFC Leopards front-man Paul Odhiambo and former Posta Rangers defender Japher Gichuki while Wycliffe Opondo was the only remnant from the first leg squad.

“When we started the first leg we thought bringing a squad of hungry young players would be good for us because we thought they would have a good fighting spirit but we were wrong. In the second leg, we made a decision to bring in players with experience and those who know what it means to play in the league. It paid off,” Baraza recalls.

-Kalekwa return-

Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa (right) is confident the team will avoid the relegation despite sitting seven points off safety.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.

Another key factor in Sofapaka’s survival is the return of club stalwart and owner Elly Kalekwa. In the first leg, he never attended even a single match as he was rarely in the country but when he came back in the second leg, the tide changed.

“In a home when a father is not there, things tend to go wrong. But whenever he comes, even if there is no meat in the house, there is always a smell close to that. It is the same that happened with us. Once ‘Prezda’ came back, there was some confidence,” Baraza says.

The flamboyant Congolese businessman, as Capital Sports learns rewarded the side with Sh1mn in cash after their win over Thika United and took them for dinner. He also promised to pay them in advance all their salaries until January.

“Since we came into this team, we have never complained that our salaries have been delayed. Everything has been prompt. We have also been paid all our allowances handsomely and that is one thing I credit Kalekwa for. He has really taken care of the team,” one of the players said.

Kalekwa is still bubbling with happiness, three days after his side’s famous escape.

“I don’t even have words. I was confident we would not be relegated but the manner we managed to escape is a story worth telling. We started badly but God stood with us and we managed to remain in the league,” he said.

“We have learnt our lessons. This is the last time ever you will see Sofapaka struggling. We are a team used to fight for titles, not fighting relegation. We are planning ourselves for next season and we are also looking at matters sponsorship to see whether we can have a stable financial base,” the Congolese said.

He also noted he will maintain the same squad but will definitely add in some quality players to ensure they return back to hunting titles.

The post How ‘Mbuzi Choma’ turned Sofapaka’s season around appeared first on Capital Sports.

Harambee Starlets team during the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup PHOTO/COURTESY

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – Harambee Starlets have been bundled out of the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations after losing their second Group B match, going down 3-1 to Mali in Limbe, Cameroon.

Kenya, who are participating in the continental showpiece for the first time ever, will play her final match against defending champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria on Saturday.

In the earlier Group B fixture, Nigeria and Ghana settled for a 1-1 draw to see the Super Falcons lead the table on four points, same as the Black Queens who have an inferior goal difference, Mali are third on three points while Kenya are at the bottom with no point.

Cheris Avilia scored Kenya’s consolation in the 76th minute after Sebe Coulibaly opened the scoring for Mali as Bassira Toure netted a brace to complete the rout.

On paper, Kenya were considered favourites after Mali came from a 6-0 thumping by Nigeria, but things turned out differently as Starlets found themselves on the receiving end.

Head coach David Ouma made two changes from the team that lost 3-1 to Ghana in their opening match with Christine Nafula relegated to the bench for Mercy Achieng while Irene Ogutu started in defence replacing Oserian FC’s Dorcas Shikobe.

Kenya drew the first blood with Esse Akida turning two Mali defenders inside out but her final shot just missed the target by a whisker.

Starlets were good on the counter to see Corazone Aquino try a long range shot in the 27th minute but it went wide before Avilia was denied off the line by Mali captain Aminata Sacko.

Akida, who gave the Mali defence had time hit the cross bar from a corner but on the other end the Kenyan girls were punished from a set-piece after Ann Aluoch conceded a free-kick to see French based Coulibaly curve past Starlets keeper Samantha Akinyi for the opener.

The goal motivated Mali to control the game but could not add the second as they headed to the break leading 1-0.

Harambee Starlets head coach David Ouma shouts instructions from the touchline during the team’s friendly match against Egypt on October 28 in Nairobi. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

The second half belonged to Mali and despite Ouma making three substitutions, that could not stop their opponents from attacking.

It was Kenya who reacted first just two minutes into the second half through danger girl Akida who had a good run on the right beating one defender but the Mali keeper did well to stop her attempt.

Mali doubled the lead in the 49th minute after Toure made good use of Starlets defence lapse to squeeze past three players and neatly finish for the second goal that sent her technical bench into jubilation.

Five minutes later, the Mali custodian thwarted Akida’s effort to claw one back after swiftly recovering to rescue Avilia’s long range shot that she had spilled.

Starlets troubles went from bad to worse when defender Wendy Achieng brought down Toure in the box, who converted the penalty to seal the win that saw Mali revive their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

The post Starlets out of Cup of Nations after Mali loss appeared first on Capital Sports.

Harambee Stars players walk off the pitch at half time during a friendly match against Mozambique on November 12, 2016. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 24 – Despite winning their last two international friendly matches, Kenya has dropped four places in the latest FIFA rankings to sit 89th in the world.

Harambee Stars beat Mozambique1-0 before edging out Liberia by the same score-line at the Kasarani Stadium early this month but that could not help them climb since the two teams were lowly ranked below them.

In the East Africa region (CECAFA), Kenya is placed second behind Uganda who sit 73rd in the world after dropping one place.

Rwanda who went up six places to sit at position101 are third in CECAFA while Ethiopia who climbed11 places are fourth in the region.

Kenya sit 21st in Africa, 56 places behind Senegal who are leading the continent as they occupy 33rd position in the world ahead of Africa champions Ivory Coast who dropped three places to lie 34th.

Tunisia are the third best ranked team in the continent followed by Egypt while Algeria closes the top five best African teams.

From the two matches that Kenya played, they collected 244.8 points against Liberia and 267.75 against Mozambique.

Argentina continue to top the standings with Brazil swapping places with Germany to come in at second on the world rankings.

The post Kenya down four places in latest FIFA rankings appeared first on Capital Sports.

KCB women’s team training in Mombasa ahead of the national play-offs.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 24 – KCB women’s volleyball team assistant coach David Kinga is confident his charges will emerge victors when they face Kenya Prisons in their first match of the national play-offs in Mombasa on Friday.

The Bankers have beaten Prisons three times this season and Kinga says he will be banking on that to win the match as they seek to grab a ticket to the 2017 Africa Club Championship competitions.

“Last season it was difficult for us because many of our players went to Prisons and Pipeline but this year we have prepared well and we have done good training so we have hope we will win the play-offs,” Kinga asserted.

“All of my players are experienced and they will help us win. I have three players who are in the U-23 national team and I am sure they will play a great role in this games. We can win against Prisons because we have beaten them three times this season; in the final twice and semi once,” the assistant coach added.

KCB will then take on defending champions Kenya Pipeline in their next game on Saturday afternoon while the final clash will see them take on Nairobi Water on Sunday.

KCB will take on Kenya Prisons in their first match before playing Kenya Pipeline and Nairobi Water.

However, the Bankers will be worried by the availability of Prisons attacker Mercy Moim, blocker Brackcides Agala, Evelyn Makuto and setter Jane Wacu who return to the club after having stint in Europe.

KCB captain Gladys Wairimu has called on her charges to give their best and make sure they start on a winning note since it will determine how they will perfume in the play-offs.

“We have prepared well. We have a good team and if we can cooperate and put to practice what we have been doing in training, then I have no doubts that we will win. We will miss some our colleagues who are with the national team but I am confident with the team that is in camp,” she said.

Prisons head coach David Lung’aho has an uphill task as he looks to reclaim the title he last won in 2013.

Prisons have been on a rollercoaster form this year, losing only once to their favourite title contenders Kenya Pipeline, last month in Ravine. This coupled by the fact that they will have a full house following the return of captain Loice Jepkosgei and Makuto from injury is expected to add a lot of weight on the other side of the pendulum.

The post KCB out to stop Prisons in volleyball play-offs appeared first on Capital Sports.

Kabras and Mwamba in action on 19 November 2016

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 24 – Mwamba RFC will be chasing their first win of the season when they host Western Bulls in the fourth round of Kenya Cup where six matches are lined up in different venues across the country on Saturday.

The 1984 champions have been unlucky in their three outings, falling11-26 away to Nakuru in their opener, following this up with a heartbreaking 24-27 home loss to KCB before once again pushing defending champions Kabras Sugar to the limit, going down 11-20 last weekend in Kakamega.

Facing a Western Bulls side that has been a tough opponent in previous encounters, Kevin Wambua’s charges will head into the tie seeking a win that will give life and momentum to their quest for playoff qualification at the close of the league phase.

At the Nakuru Athletic Club, Top Fry Nakuru will be looking to bounce back from one of their heaviest Kenya Cup defeats in recent years when they take on Kabras.

Other fixtures will see Mean Machine welcome host to KCB at the University of Nairobi Grounds while the weekend’s double header sees Homeboyz play Resolution Impala Saracens with Nondescripts taking on Kenya Harlequin at the ASK Jamhuri Park.

Basement sides Strathmore Leos and Blak Blad clash as they also seek to win the first match.

Both sides have started the 2016/17 campaign on the wrong footing despite some plucky performances and are both winless three games into the season.

The Leos started their campaign with a 17-48 loss to Homeboyz before losing 22-39 to Quins and 12-24 to Resolution Impala Saracens while Blad started with an 8-47 defeat to Quins before falling 18-33 to the Sarries and 11-29 to Nondies respectively.

Both sides are expected to name their match day squads on Thursday evening.

Match Day 4

Saturday 26 November 2016

Homeboyz v Resolution Impala Saracens – 2.00pm, Jamhuri Park

Top Fry Nakuru v Kabras Sugar – 4.00pm, Nakuru Athletic Club

Mean Machine v KCB – 4.00pm, UoN

Mwamba v Western Bulls – 4.00pm, Railway Club

Strathmore Leos v Blak Blad – 4.00pm, Madaraka

Nondescripts v Kenya Harlequin – 4.15pm, Jamhuri Park

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NOCK 1st vice-chairman Ben Ekumbo appearing before the Nairobi Milimani Law Court.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 – National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) 1st vice-chairman Ben Ekumbo was on Friday formally charged with two counts related to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games scandal.

Ekumbo, who appeared before Nairobi Milimani Law Court Resident Magistrate Joyce Ngandani, pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing cash and kits belonging to Team Kenya.

The Kenya Swimming Federation chairman, who was detained at Muthaiga Police Station, will spend three more days in custody until Monday where the court will rule on whether to release him on bail.

“On 25th of July at KCB University Way branch in Nairobi Ben Ekumbo Kaburi  conspired with others not before court to steal $10,500 (Sh1,070,364.75) property of the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts,” the first count in the charge sheet read.

Ekumbo, who was arrested on Monday from his Nairobi apartment in Westlands where Team Kenya Nike kits were seized, faces another count of stealing by agent where it is alleged that on an unknown date at NOCK headquarters he stole sports uniform belonging to Team Kenya.

Ekumbo, who was Team Kenya’s Deputy Head of Delegation for the Rio Olympics told the court that the cash was deposited into his bank account without his knowledge and said he will refund the money.

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Walter Machio (R) of Michezo Afrika foundation and Samira Said of Skyskates address the media during the launch of Magharibi Michezo Awards at Clarion hotel in Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 – The 2016 edition of the annual Magharibi Michezo Awards (MMA) was launched on Friday with organizers announcing plans to train over 50 community youth coaches in the coming season.

Celebrated as The Premier awards ceremony in Western Kenya, MMA is geared towards rewarding the achievements of the region’s athletes as well as encourage the next crop of sporting talent.

First held in 2013 and celebrating its fourth edition this year, the Magharibi Michezo Awards also seeks to recognize the efforts of those individuals who have in one way or another nurtured sporting talent from the region.

This year, the team trained 25 community youth soccer coaches with a mission of upgrading the technical growth of the game in the region.

This year’s edition of the Magharibi  Michezo Awards Gala will be held on Saturday December 17th in Bungoma County. This will then be followed by an exciting Skates Festival that promises to thrill fans in Bungoma town.

Last year , as part of the Magharibi Michezo Awards celebration, the MMA Organizing Committee organized and held a successful skating event in Bungoma dubbed the Ignite Bungoma International Skates Festival that attracted skaters from all over Kenya.

Leveraging on this fast-growing sport in Kenya, the team will again host the skating festival in Bungoma on 18th December, 2016. This year’s event will feature competitors taking part in four categories.

The highlight of the festival will be the 42KM senior and 21KM Junior open races that have attracted the best skaters in the region.

It is highly expected that since this will be the first ever competitive full Road  race – Skates marathon in Kenya ,new national records will be set.

PIC 1590- From Left: Walter Machio of Michezo Afrika foundation, Samira Said of Skyskates, Mutura Kuria of Hopeskates and Goerge Njuguna, thesecretary Magharibi Michezo Awards shake hands during the launch of Magharibi Michezo Awards in Nairobi.

Magharibi Michezo Awards Secretary George Njuguna, speaking at the launch in Nairobi, said, “We aim to provide alternative sports for young people in Kenya and encourage talent development to make Kenya a sporting nation.

Other than the Skates Festival, we will hosting a gala dinner on 17th December, 2016 the eve of the Skates Festival to celebrate and recognize sports heroes and heroines from Western Kenya.

During this dinner, some of the finest athletes in the region together with community coaches will be honoured and appreciated for their talents and contribution to the sports industry in Kenya.”

Njuguna added that “The highlights of the awards will be The Community Coach of the year Award that will be given to the coaches at the grassroots level who make the champions.This award will also come with a cash prize of 50,000 shillings.”

Also present at the function was 2016 Kenyan Premier League Top goal scorer John Mark Makwata, himself a Magharibi Michezo Award winner in 2015.

The Ulinzi Stars marksman underscored the importance of supporting community coaches as they play a crucial role in nurturing future champions.

“I am here because I am a living testimony of a community coach who has shown great commitment  and played an integral role in shaping me to where I am today.

Magharibi Awards is a blessing to all those who play the role of  guidance and are sometimes not recognized.” he noted.

Mutura  Kuria while speaking on behalf of the Skates Clubs in Kenya said, “We were happy with the Skates event organization last year and we look forward to having a thrilling , exciting road race where we are optimistic of seeing new national records.”

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Caption: Alex Lairangi in past action. He is challenging Eric Bengi for the 2WD title.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 – The 37th edition of the KCB Guru Nanak Rally revs-off in Naivasha town on Saturday with drivers at it to tackle wet and slippery conditions.

Clerk of the course Pipi Renu said heavy rains which pounded the route course the previous night “rendered the surface muddy”.

What this means is that competitors will have to resort to mud comoubd tyres to navigate through the demanding terrain.

But Pipi added that no stage will be cancelled as “they are all passable”.

“We are are just hoping that it does not rain overnight but come rain come shine the stages we will run the itinerary as scheduled,” said Pipi.

A total of 42 cars were cleared to participate in the closing event of the season with Ugandan Ronald Sebuguzi pulling out at the eleventh hour citing mechanical problems on his Mitsubishi Evolution 10.

After accessing damages from last weekends home event in Jinja, Sebuguzi wrote to organisers notifying them of his withdrawal.

The rally will be flagged off by Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua from 630am onwards outside KCB Nakuru after which cars will tackle three stages at Soysambu and Aberdares Hills Golf Resort. The event which is the eighth of the season will see drivers in variuos KNRC categories fighting it out for points on homestretch.

Eric Bengi who has a 14 points cushion over Alex Lairangi will be going for the  jugular in his bid to clinch the his maiden 2WD class championship title.

Bengi’s navigator Tuta Mionki is 11 points away from becoming the first lady to claim a Two Wheel Drive title since Carol Wahome.

Onkar Rai and his navigator Gareth Dawe have the KNRC Division 1 title in the bag after the penultimate Kitengela Rally.  Second placed Jaameet Chana lost in his bid to  catch Onkar but will be driving to safeguard his current position.

Like Onkar, Shamba Boyz driver Mahesh Halal has the KNRC Division 2 championship title in the bag.  Second placed in the group is Bengi who is assutwd of the second spot.

The change of navigator for Mahesh on the penultimate round to Parents Hirani has given Tuta Mionki a chance to challenge for the navigators diadem. Tuta is 22 points away from Ketan Halai who skipped Kitengela due to pressing commitment.

Rally Chix Tash Tundo and Chantal Louise Young young become the first ever all lady crew to win the Division 3 title in Kitengela after their nearest rivals, Osman Abdullahi retired.

For the first time this season the Liquid Telecom sponsored team of Tash and Ian Duncan failed to survived the demanding Kitengela conditions,  but at least they left Kitengela with two titles under their belts with Duncan  clinching the Group N Drivers championship and Tash Division 3.

Chandrakant Devji will fight for the Supplymentary Class with Edward Maina with only four points separating the two. Steve Mbuthia Wainaina is the new leader in the co~drivers series , Julius Mwachuya lays 21 points behind.

Asad Khan and his co~ driver, Harshil Limbani had already secured the SPV Class on the previous round.

Limbani’s title come 30 years after his father,  Raju  Limbani had won the Under 1600 Class championships in a Colt Lancer.

The post Crews prepare for wet Guru Nanak Rally appeared first on Capital Sports.

Kenya Prisons will face KPA on Sunday.PHOTO/curtesy

MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 26 – Kenya Prisons men’s volleyball club will need any win margin against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in their last match on Sunday to be crowned the 2016 Kenya Volleyball Federation league champions.

The warders came from two sets disadvantage to put a firm grip on the trophy after beating arch rivals and pre-championship favourites General Service Unit (GSU) 3-2 (25-17,19-25,21-25, 25-22,15-11) in a fierce battle at the Makande Hall to take the lead on the log with five points; one better than the losers.

Prisons had rallied to grab all the three points against Nairobi Water in their opening match on Friday thanks to a hard fought 3-1 success and they further expressed clear intent to reclaim the trophy which they surrendered to GSU last year when they shot their Police colleagues to snatch vital two points.

GSU may have a record 11 national titles but they have never won a back-to-back since 2008. They now face the reality of extending that record unless they beat Water in their last match on Sunday by straight sets and hope that KPA stretches Prisons to a five set thriller.

That will see them have a better set scores advantage which will definitely hand them the trophy. Prisons has dropped only three sets and boast of a 2-0 win-loss ratio while GSU with a 1-1 win loss ratio has so far dropped four sets.

KPA’s performance against Water in their second match means the games will go down to the wire to the last day.

The Dockers crept back to contention for the national glory thanks to a 3-1 (17-25, 18-25, 21-25, 21-25) win over Nairobi Water.

They too can still win this trophy but they must pull a straight sets win over Prisons and hope that Water takes GSU to a marathon five sets.

A three- nil win over the Warders will see KPA move to the top on six points but they will have to wait the outcome of last match of the games between GSU and Water where a celebration in KPA’s camp will start as soon as the last whistle of the fourth set is blown should the game be tied 2-2 in the fourth set.

Water, who also lost their opener against Prisons are out of contention though they showed the rest of the opponents what they should expect in the coming years.

Water is only two years old into the league and they booked a first national playoffs berth following a good run of form throughout the season which also saw them lead the log until the second last leg of the regular season.

-Women battle-

The women’s battle will be determined by the last match between defending champions  Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Prisons on Sunday.

Kenya Pipeline held up to their lead on the log on the second day thanks to a straight set win over Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

Pipeline subjected KCB to their second defeat courtesy of a 3-0 (25-15, 25-15 and 25-23) win to add to their first win against Nairobi Water on Friday.

The last match of the day between Prisons and Nairobi Water ended 3-0 (25-23, 25-15,25-13) in favour of Prisons.

-by Elvis Joshua-

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Rajbir Rai winner of the Guru Nanak Rally.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – Rajbir Rai navigated by Greg Stead in a Ford Fiesta R5 overcame a tough course to win the Guru Nanak Rally as the 2016 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) ended on Saturday.

The son of legendary Sarbi Rai had his campaign effectively sewn up when Jassi Chatthe failed to catch him in a ‘fast and furious’ last stage showdown that treated spectators to some exhilarating displays at Aberdare Hills Golf Resort.

It was not a walk in the pack though for Rajbir as Kisumu based Chatthe clinched three out of six stages in the Sikh Union organized rally with the former claiming the first and last stages.

“I’m so elated to have won again considering that our car proved quite unreliable earlier in the season. It was such a tough rally but its always a great pleasure to win the Guru Nanak,” said Rajbir.

Rajbir who announced recently that he will be retiring from the sport after Guru Nanak savored victory incidentally three weeks after clinching Kitengela rally in Kajiado country.

All was not well for some of the KNRC bigwigs who fell by the wayside one after the other.

Top seed Karan Patel and Manvir Baryan were among the early casualties with the later rolling out on the early morning run at Aberdare Hills.

Tapio who has literally swept the ground with all his opponents whenever he had a clean run retired on CS2 at Soysambu.

Manvir and his partner Drew Sturrock came out of their Ford Fiesta unscathed after rolling 3km from end of CS1.

Tapio’s front dampers were damaged before the first refuel and so to avoid ripping the car to pieces, he proceeded into service where he retired.

Other casualties were Onkar Rai with a broken suspension arm, John Nganga with a broken diff on CS2. Out of the 42 who started the rally, only 18 survived the demanding conditions.

KNRC Division 3 driver Osman Abdullahi also suffered his second successive retirement of the season this tine round with a broken drive shaft on CS2.

Two Wheel Drive’s Sam Karangatha went out on CS2 with a cracked sump-guard.

The event which was the last for KCB as title sponsors also confirmed various champions in various categories of the Kenya National Rally Championship with Eric Bengi winning the 2WD championship, Chandu Devji Group S and Ramesh Vishram the Classic car category.

Other champions in the season are Tash Tundo (division three) and  Ian Duncan (Group N).

Provisional Final Results

1. Rajbir Rai/Greg Stead (Ford Fiesta) 1:28.54
2. Jassi Chatthe/Gugu Panesar (Mitsubishi Evolution 10) 1:29.49
3. Ian Duncan (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)1:30.20
4. Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Mitsubishi Evolution 10)1:34.11
5. Tejveer Rai/Zahir Shah (Mitsubishi Evolution 10) 1:36.47
6. Dennis Mwenda/Job Njiru (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 1:40.04
7. Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Triumph TR8) 1:42.41
8. Izhar Mirza/Kavit Dave (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 1:43.41
9. Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 1:46.01
10. Farhaaz Khan/Keith Henrie (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 1:54.24

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Kenya Pipeline women’s volleyball team taking a selfie when they were hosted to a luncheon by their title sponsor.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu.

MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 27 – Kenya Pipeline retained the Kenya volleyball Federation women’s national league title while Kenya Prisons dethroned General Service Unit (GSU) to the men’s seat on the final day of the national playoffs which ended Sunday at Makande Hall, Mombasa.

Pipeline twice came from behind to inflicts another painful loss on Prisons with 3-2 (21-25,25-17, 21-25,25-23,15-9) triumph while Prisons reclaimed the title they lost to GSU last year after crushing Kenya Ports Authority by straight set (25-22, 25-20, 25-19) in their last match.

Pipeline win over their fiercest arch rivals saw Prisons set a record for the longest title drought to three consecutive years.

Mombasa has never been an easy stage for Prisons who have only won this title once on this stage, in their debut season way back in 2008. The last time they won the title was way back in 2013.

Pipeline who twice lost to Prisons in the regular season got the better side of their opponents but they finished the season on a high, going unbeaten at the playoff.

Prisons opened the match on a high but lost the gas along the journey.

The match consumed two casualties, with both captains Loice Jepkosgei (Prisons) and Noel Murambi (Pipeline) being pulled out with a back and ankle injuries respectively.

The opening set was headed Pipeline’s way but a10 minute power outage at the competition venue gave David Lung’aho a chance to have a tete a tete with his squad. Trailing 4-10, Prisons turned the table after resumption when they caught up with the runner away leaders at 17 ups only to wrap the set 25-21.

Pipeline responded in the second set and despite another power blackout, they controlled the proceedings, leading from start to the end.

Prisons suffered the first injury setback after Jepkosgei collided with her libero forcing her to leave the court.

She was replaced by Yvonne Wavinya who’s presence did very little to stop the marauding Pipeline. The champions rounded the set 25-17 to level the scores 1-1.

The third set was evenly spread and despite Pipeline taking a three point lead (9-5), Prisons rallied back to open one point gap into the second technical time out.

After resumption, the wardresses further widen the gap to a three-point lead (19-16) and they never looked back, going all the way to extend their set advantage to 2-1 from the 25-21 win in the third set.

The game consumed the second casualty after Murambi twisted her ankle and was replaced by Naomi Too who helped her side to a 25-23 win to cancelled Prisons advantage and throw the game to the final fifth set.

Pipeline took an early lead in the decisive set to wrap the game 3-2 (21-25,25-17, 21-25,25-23,15-9). The winners each got Ksh300,000 as prize money.

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) finished third above Nairobi Water whom they beat 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-16) in the first match.

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The report recommends strict action to be taken against officials of NOCK and those in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts (Mosca) who are accused of the misappropriation of over Ksh 88 million meant for Team Kenya for Rio 2016.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 27 – Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Arts Hassan Wario is expected to hand over the report on the 2016 Rio Olympic Games probe to President Uhuru Kenyatta this week.

The report contains findings and recommendations on officials who were found calculable for mismanaging Team Kenya during the Rio Olympic Games where money was embezzled.

The report recommends strict action to be taken against officials of NOCK and those in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts (Mosca) who are accused of the misappropriation of over Ksh 88 million meant for Team Kenya for Rio 2016.

Additionally, Nock officials are also being called to account for the Ksh 126 million they receive annually from American sports apparel manufacturer, Nike after the firm submitted to the Committee headed by its chairman, Paul Ochieng, full disclosure in writing of their contract with the national Olympics body.

The astonishing report unravels what appears to have been an elaborate scheme between crooked Nock and officials in the ministry to loot as much as possible from the Ksh 590 million budgeted for the Games.

Team Kenya Head of Mission, Stephen arap Soi has already been charged with five counts of theft of Ksh25, 907,705.82 meant for the Olympics but that is now emerging to be less than a third of the figure said to have been misappropriated by officials at the ministry according to the report.

Fellow Nock bosses; Francis Kinyili Paul (Secretary General) and Pius Ochieng (First Vice-Chairman) like Soi are also out on bail on charges of stealing kit from Nike but the sponsorship money and winning bonuses for athletes paid out for medalling at the Olympics are not among the charges.

It also recommends the Sports Act of 2013 to be fully implemented to realise the full potential of sports federations and parastatals, creation of the office of a Sports Ombudusman as well as establishing partnership with a Japanese city with Team Kenya to launch early preparations for Tokyo 2020.

Another report by the Parliamentary Select Committee for Labour and Social Services chaired by Matuga Member of Parliament, is yet to release its report to the same scandal having summoned Nock and ministry bureaucrats led by Wario.

In the meantime, a team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has continued investigations into the matter with a view to bringing to justice people who are responsible for any wrongdoing.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) 1st vice-chairman Ben Ekumbo is the latest official to be arrested over the Rio fiasco and is currently detained at Muthaiga Police Station waiting to return to Court on Monday.

He was charged with two counts of theft but pleaded not guilty to the charges of stealing Sh1m and kits belonging to Team Kenya.

Despite the challenges faced by the Kenyan athletes from the camp in Eldoret, to travel arrangements and mistreatment in Brazil, the Kenyan team put up a spirited performance to finish 20th in the world by collecting a total of 13 medals, six gold, six silver and a single bronze medal.

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“We do have our challenges and I think we need to solve them out before it’s too late. In a couple of years we have been facing the same thing at this time when a new season is about to begin,” Injera, the younger brother of veteran Humphrey Kayange urged.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 28 – All-time World Rugby Sevens Series top try scorer Collins Injera has been dropped from the Kenya Sevens team to take part in the opening leg of the 2016/17 season in Dubai this weekend.

Injera is among four regular players axed when head coach Innocent ‘Namcos’ Simiyu named his first ever 12-man squad on Monday ahead of the team’s departure Monday night.

Others who were omitted are winger Oscar Ouma from Nakuru RFC, Homeboyz centre Oscar Ayodi, Impala Saracens fullback Sammy Oliech and winger Bush Mwale who are said to be unfit.

Injera’s omission was as a result of leading the team on a go-slow for a week where they boycotted training demanding Sh23m bonus arrears from the 2015/16 season.

READ: Bonus arrears took us by surprise, says KRU boss

The team agreed to travel after the government and KRU promised to pay the bonus arrears.

Director of Administration at the Ministry of Sports, Haron Komen met the players and the KRU board members on Saturday and resolved the stalemate which had engulfed the team.

Komen said the players should expect Sh13m this week while KRU committed to pay Sh8m.

Dan Sikuta and Martin Owila from KCB returned to the team that will be captained by Andrew Amonde while Kabras Sugar’s Brian Tanga as well as KCB fly half Darwin Mukidza will make their debut.

The team is drawn in Pool D and will face France in their opening match on Friday before taking on Japan and then lock horns with Australia in their last preliminary round fixture.

– Kenya Lionesses –

The Kenya Lionesses team displaying the SportPesa new kit during the launch.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

In the women’s team, head coach Kevin Wambua has made two changes ahead of their invitational tournament in Dubai.

Grace Adhiambo and Linet Moraa are the new inclusions from the side that lost 21-17 to South Africa in the Africa Cup Sevens cup final in September.

The Kenya Lionesses are drawn in Pool B alongside Ireland, Belgium, Poland and Tribe 7s.

Kenya squad:

Dan Sikuta, Brian Tanga (Kabras Sugar), Martin Owila, Andrew Amonde, Darwin Mukidza (KCB), Frank Wanyama, William Ambaka (SportPesa Quins), Leonard Mugaisi, Cyprian Kuto, Augustine Lugonzo (Menengai Cream Homeboyz), Billy Odhiambo (Mwamba), Nelson Oyoo (Top Fry Nakuru).

Management: Innocent Simiyu (Head Coach), Ian Gibbons (S&C Coach), Lameck Bogonko (Physio), Erick Ogweno (Team Manager).

Kenya Lionesses squad:

Philadelphia Olando, Catherine Abillah, Celestine Masinde, Doreen Remour, Grace Adhiambo, Janet Okello, Janet Owino, Stacy Awuor, Sinaida Aura, Linet Moraa, Sheila Chajira, Irene Otieno.

Management: Kevin Wambua (Head Coach), Samuel Njogu (S&C Coach), Ben Mahinda (Physio), Camilyne Oyuayo (Team Manager).

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