Sports

Tokyo preps start

Monday, December 21st, 2020 00:00 | By
NOC-K president Paul Tergat, Sports CS Amina Mohamed and businessman Manu Chandaria during the Tokyo Olympic launch in 2019. Photo/PD/FILE

The first central management and steering committee meetings for next year’s Tokyo Olympics will be held on January 6 and 13 respectively.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Paul Tergat said the aim of the meetings is to guarantee a seamless delivery of the Games and to help avoid a repeat of the mismanagement circus that blotted the 2016 Games in Brazil, with clear responsibilities and accountability structures 

Speaking during the closing session of a two-day retreat organised by NOC-K and the Ministry of Sports in Naivasha, Tergat said lessons have been learned from the Rio fiasco where over Sh88 million was lost in fraudulent deals.

“We, officials at NOC-K have a responsibility to protect and we shall not allow any misappropriation of funds or any impropriety in our operations,” said Tergat.

Tergat warned officials entrusted with Team Kenya affairs against putting their hands in the till.

“What is not yours will never be yours,” the former five-time world cross country champion said, sentiments that were reinforced by Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed.

Amina said priority would be given to athlete’s welfare during the Tokyo Games, hence the decision by the government to formulate a policy on travelling officials.

“We are not going to Tokyo to run, so why should the focus be on us? I don’t mind staying far from the Olympics venue, as long as the athletes who are going to compete get the best treatment,” she said.

 Key among the decisions made by the joint ministry and NOC-K teams is the launch next month of a “bubble training hub” for teams and athletes already qualified for the July 23 to August 8 Olympic Games along with the reconstitution of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Steering Committee and Central Management Committee.

NOC-K and the Sports ministry also agreed to review the Tokyo Olympics budget before the Christmas break so that it’s discussed in next month’s meetings.

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