Asaba fiasco embarrassing for Nigeria and Africa

The troubles that Team Kenya have gone through ahead of the 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria are uncalled for.

The organisers of the event had all along promised participating teams of a smooth organisation. That all was well.

But after the happenings of the last few days, affecting not only Team Kenya but almost all the other participants, the unmistakable conclusion is that they were telling a white lie.

It is beyond even a toddlers understanding how a continental championship would sink to such low depths.

Why did the Federation of Africa Athletics (CAA) allow Asaba to keep their hosting rights, which were actually snatched from Lagos?

Did the CAA led by president Kalkaba Malboum do due diligence in their inspection of logistics in the run up to the championship?

Why did Asaba settle on clueless protocol officials where nobody was ready to take responsibility for the mess that was at the Murtala Mohammed Airport domestic flights wing?

To see Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Benin, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Egypt, South Sudan, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Morocco and Rwandese representatives sleep on cold floors at the airport was such an embarrassment to not only to Nigeria but the rest of Africa.

With numerous private air service providers in Nigeria, whose national carrier is dead, why did the organisers offer the charter flight services to just one company, Overland Airways?

However, it is encouraging to know that athletes from various countries caused commotion at the Overland Airways service desk, seeking to know of their chances to travel to Asaba.

It shows that they are ready for the competition and were embracing the “never say die" attitude of professional athletes.

I have learnt that most of the athletes have vowed to use the terrible experience as an inspiration to conquer the continent.

Team Kenya athletes, despite arriving at the venue on the first day of competition, are determined to show the continent and even the world, what they are made of.

Tellingly, some were overheard seeking advise from coaches and the medical team on what tactics they should employ to shake off the fatigue of three days without training, jet lag and poor diet.

It is my wish that the team, despite numerous calls by concerned Kenyans that they should just call it quits and return home, will achieve their dreams.

Mark you, representing the continent at the Continental Cup is the huge prize at stake.

My take is that “quitters never win” and I commend the team, led by Team Manager Solomon Mutai, CEO Susan Kamau and Vice President, Peter Mutwii for keeping cool heads.