Athletics Kenya have allowed the marathon team members to train individually ahead of the Rio Olympics in August.
While meeting the athletes yesterday at Riadha house, AK president Jackson Tuwei said the move was arrived at after a request from the athletes.
“These are responsible people and they have done it in the past even without us and won in various competitions,” said Tuwei.
“It is only good that they train in areas they are comfortable and then come together for bonding. A training programme will spell their time to mingle, maybe during long runs, speed work or when we want to meet them.”
However, Tuwei said the athletes will, however, be limited to what competitions they can participate in between now and the Olympics.
“They cannot run in a marathon of course but any other event can be discussed as long as it is geared towards preparing for Rio,” said Tuwei.
“There is a training programme that will bring them together at some point since they also want to bond. Remember they will be going to Rio as a team.”
He said logistics on how to reach any of the runners is being laid down between AK and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya as the country seek to reclaim the medal won by the late Samuel Wanjiru in 2008 Olympics in Beijing and as well bag the ladies’.
“It’s a matter of coordination and that is what we have been discussing,” said Tuwei.
Elsewhere, Professional Athletes Association of Kenya spokesperson Wesley Korir has accused Nairobi PAAK region organising secretary Julius Ndegwa of collaborating with foreigners in the manufacturing of misleading doping stories against Kenyan runners.
In what seems to be the last straw of the in-fighting among the PAAK officials, Korir, the member of Parliament for Cherangany, said: “We have people and we know them. A time has come for name and shame. We are sitting here and something is already going on.”
“We have already seen pictures, videos doing rounds of people doing interviews and hosting (foreigners) in their houses and one of them is Ndegwa (Julius),” said Korir. “I don’t want to beat around the bush. I have forwarded his name to the administration (police) for action.”
Korir alleged that some people have taken advantage of the country’s doping situation to spread propaganda.
“Some young desperate people, athletes or not have been given money to tarnish the name of our athletes and I am not going to stay aside and watch them spoil our name.”
“We are going to the Olympics and I am standing here selfishly defending myself and the athletes of this country.