Africa-Press – Kenya. Controversy reigns over the selection of the Kenya swimming team to the CANA Africa and Junior swimming Championships slated for Ghana next month.
Kenya had earmarked to send 16 swimmers for the week-long event in Accra but doubts persist over the selection criteria used in picking the team following the axing of Maria Bianchi from the team .
Bianchi first won her event during the trials held at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani three weeks ago.
She finished first in the 50m freestyle event, clocking 29.26 and her exclusion has prompted the Ministry of Sports to ask for her detailed report on the selection criteria .
Several stakeholders have maintained that the trials were allegedly held in secrecy as top swimmers were not invited to the championship and no data were used to pick the team to represent the country .
Swimming stakeholder, Kenneth Karani, wondered why the trials were under cover and why the swimmers selected are being forced to pay Sh230,000 yet the Sports Dispute Tribunal was to cater for the expenses.
“I smell something fishy. As we speak, we don’t even have the final list of swimmers going for the event. Secondly why should the parents pay for the costs yet they are already burdened,” he noted.
Karani called for the total overhaul of the Sports Dispute Tribunal, claiming that they have failed to bring the reforms to the sport.
“We are asking the sports ministry to look into the matter and revisit the KSF elections issue. We are currently under suspension and very soon we will be banned by FINA for four years unless remedial measures are put in place,” he added.
Efforts to get a comment from head of the Sport Dispute Tribunal John Ohaga proved fruitless as his phone went unanswered.
The sport has been dogged by controversy with the long-awaited elections yet to happen and a four-year ban looming over the sport.
