Kenya win big at Kasarani CANA championships
Kenya emerged winners of the three-day CANA Zone Three swimming championships at Kasarani Aquatic Centre.
The championship was overshadowed by lack of government support and presence with the highlight being Burundi Sports Minister lacking officials to receive him at the event on Saturday.
Kenya had 36 swimmers, 17 boys, and 19 girls, a number local Organising Committee LOC chair Jen Maina was concerned should have been higher for the host nation.
Team Kenya managed a total of 1,568 points followed by Uganda with 1,547 points with Tanzania coming in third with 1,354 points.
The chair lamented that Kenya is the only East Africa nation with an Olympic size pool, it was not a shame that equipment and technical support was no availed for the championships and making the facility fully compliant.
“We wanted to have a bigger number of swimmers taking part in the championship.
We had planned for Team A and B, unfortunately we we’re completely ignored by the sports ministry, all our efforts for support going unanswered,” Maina told People Sport.
“Had it not been for individual sponsors, the championships could not have been possible. We have experienced equipment failure through out the event. Half of the competition we have had to switch off the automatic timing system.
If you can’t trust the integrity of the system you’re using it’s a same,” revealed Maina who said part of the budget of Sh49 million for the championships they had requested, Sh17 million was to be used to purchase equipment.
