Discus thrower Sylvia Olero has challenged her axing from the Rio Paralympics-bound Team Kenya at the Sports Disputes Tribunal.
Olero claimed she was unfairly dropped from the team last week. She is among 10 others who were sent off by the Kenya National Paralympics Committee who had initially intended to enter 19 competitors in the Games set for September 6-17.
Apparently, IPC gave Kenya six slots for qualified athletes, and awarded others tripartite entries of their own choice for the Rio extravaganza. The three include weight lifter (59kg) Gabriel Magu, para-rower in the AS Men’s Single Sculls class Itaken Timoi and Nelly Nasimiyu 1,500m T.13.
According to KNPC president Agnes Oluoch, the IPC indicated participating countries listed more athletes than the facilities available to them could accommodate.
“We have little power in this situation and have to do with IPC’s determined quota for Kenya just like other countries have, we would have loved to field all the 19 athletes in camp,” said Oluoch.
Olero argued that despite qualifying for the Paralympics with “A” class qualification, she was ejected from Team Kenya.
“We settled for the six who had strong “A” class qualification in their events. Also, we could not leave out athletes who hold world records in at least one event, are among the world’s top five, and posted strong “A” qualification. Those with tripartite entries are IPC’s choice,” intimated the KNPC president.
Full hearing at the Tribunal is set for Tuesday, August 23.
