Cabinet secretary for Sports Kipchumba Murkomen on during the Talanta Sports gala on friday. photo/ @Kipchumbamurkomen X.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said that Kenya has no problem with Kenyan athletes switching allegiance to other nations.
Speaking on Friday during the Talanta sport’s gala, Murkomen explained that its due to competitive nature which has pushed a lot of sports person’s retort to switching allegiance after failing in their trials.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we have no problems with any Kenya who chooses to run or live in another country. We do not!” he said
The CS was responding to the ongoing conversation by a section of Kenyans that most of Kenyan sportsperson switching allegiance is because they do not feel much appreciated or given opportunities in our country.
He sighted that its not the first time is happening and that it has always been there.
Kenyans gave example of Winfred Yavi Mutile a Kenyan born Bahrain athlete who is the current Olympics champion in women 3000 steeplechase.
According to the CS, Sportspersons representing other nations is “like the labour we export to
Go and work abroad”
Murkomen named some of the athletes who have switched allegiance to other nations, Wilson Kipketer who switched to Denmark, Lonah Kiplagat who got married in the Netherlands, Bernard Lagat (US), and Stephen Cherono (Qatar) among several others.
READ:World Athletics bans Bahrain from poaching foreign athletes
“They must not be picked and criticized. They must be supported the same way the president is supporting the export of labor from this country to other countries,” he said.
On Yavi, Murkomen acknowledged that she has a lot of ambition and that we were unlucky to loose her to Bahrain.
He further added that she has full support from Kenya despite not running for us.
“She must know we will allow athletes to run for other countries but will beat them, We were just unlucky she beat us the other day,” he joked.
He also emphasized that labour migration across the globe should never be an issue of concern, most importantly for African who secure opportunities abroad.
“In any case they all train here in Kenya jointly and the monthly they get there they bring it home to build houses for their parents or start businesses,” he added.
