In a scenario that could best describe Kenya’s
woeful performance at the just ended London Olympics, the much touted favorites
lost out in the final stages of the men’s marathon.
Uganda’s 23-year old Stephen Kiprotich, burst past Defending
London marathon champion Wilson Kipsang’ and the world marathon champion Abel
Kirui at the 38-kilometre mark. This confirmed that the Late Samuel Wanjiru’s
gold at the 2008 Games was destined for neighboring Uganda. The only
consolation is that if Kiprotich’s name is anything to go by, then he must be tracing
hi roots to some place within the Pokots. A Kenyan had won the gold, but taken it
to another country. Uganda’s only second gold in the history of the Olympic Games,
but so sad that it had to come at the expense of the much-fancied Kenyan world-beaters.
Names and personalities count for nothing at these championships.
Kenya could not replicate Beijing’s sterling
performance of 6 Gold, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze, instead we collected a paltry 2
Gold, 4 Silver and 5 bronze. In Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene
9, the Prince of Arragon was disappointed in his failed attempt to win Portia’s
hand in marriage. He summed his frustration by saying, `` with one fool’s head I
came to woo, but I go away with two’’, loosely translated to, I came here with
a fool’s head on my shoulders, and now am leaving with two. This is what best
describes our miserable campaign at the London Games. As a nation, we were full
of expectations that our stars would eclipse the Beijing performance. This belief
was further strengthened by their sterling performance in the Diamond League,
African Championships and World championships that had preceded this year’s
games. How wrong that hypothesis turned out to be? It turned out to smack us in
the face, leaving us with mud that has to wait till Rio 2016 in the next Olympics
games, to wash away.
Team captain, David Rudisha led by example and won
the Gold in a scintillating fashion, breaking the world record in the process. Hats
off to this undisputed king of the two-lap race who has now broken his own
record an incredible three times, within a span of two years! Our charismatic Ezekiel
Kemboi assured us of the traditionally Kenyan gold medal in the 3,000m steeplechase,
despite Frenchman preventing a 1-2-3 finish. Julius Yego, lost out in the final
of the men’s javelin. However, he was the only African to go that far, besides
setting a national record with a throw of 81.81 metres. These are some of the
few moments that lit up Kenya’s otherwise poor outing at the games.
Athletics Kenya must now open up their eyes to this
bitter reality and put the house in order before Brazil 2016 find us
unprepared. Reports of divisions within the athletic camp and also between the
National Olympics Committee (NOC-K) and Athletics Kenya (AK) should not be
wished away. The same squabbles have taken down the Kenyan cricket that is now
struggling to rebuild. Football is apparently beyond repair due to the same.
It is unbearable when the very game that makes us
proud as Kenyans, suddenly and somehow inexplicably turns out to unleash
anguish and agony. The public disagreements between athletic icon Kipchoge
Keino and Coach Julius Kirwa will not grant us the respite that we desperately
need now. We need a full investigation on the London sham. Answers must be
given as to why kings of the track could underperform so miserably. Kenya, is
renowned for her numerous commissions of inquiry that apparently, bear no
fruits. Perhaps President Kibaki should appoint a commission to look into this!
It’s only in order that we celebrate Usain Bolt for
his exploits in the men’s sprints. He sealed his place among the legends of the
Olympics. Defending all the titles he won in Beijing was no mean achievement. No
other sprinter has ever matched this!
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