Two weeks ago, I was engaged in a conversation with a fellow journalist during the Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weekend Meeting at Nyayo Stadium.
Being her first time covering an athletics event, she was quite irked and frustrated by what she described as a "backward" and cold attitude of most of the athletes towards the media.
Most of her efforts to secure interviews with the participants were rudely rebuffed by the athletes, who simply walked away from the cameras without a care in the world.
Well, welcome to the world of Kenyan athletics, my dear. As a scribe who has covered this sport for almost 18 months, I have come to accept that athletes are some of the most difficult sportspersons to talk to.
Whereas they have been one of the country's biggest exports in terms of the glory they bring Kenya, another side of these superstars is their abrasive nature towards cameras and audio recorders.
The feeling I have often received is that they consider the media as an enemy and not an ally who can help propel their careers to the next level. Most are often economical with their words and follow the same script we have gotten used to: "The race was good. I thank God for the victory."
Don't get me wrong; I love God and I think it is admirable that most athletes have this attitude of giving thanks to the Almighty at all times.
During the Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour, I was disappointed when one of the winners decided to walk away from the glare of cameras, waving a hand of dismissal.
Granted, she may have been exhausted after an energy-sapping race. However, after she had rested enough and was called back for the interview, she was still hesitant and only gave a minute of her time.
What many athletes — and other sportspersons — don't understand is such media interviews are free publicity to put them in an international spotlight.
In the digital technology age, an interview conducted in Kenya can be shared across the world and possibly captivate the attention of sponsors who may be willing to work with such an athlete.
It is noteworthy that most of the wealth of most international sportspersons comes from endorsements from different brands rather than their prize money.
Furthermore, a consistent media presence opens up such athletes to new roles when they retire, such as punditry or sports commentary, with some of the most renowned sports broadcasters hailing from their disciplines.
Credit to Kenyan boxers, in particular Nick Okoth, who is one of the most outgoing sportspersons I have ever interviewed.
Even though he was not comfortable conversing in English, he was more than willing to give me his life story in Sheng'. We talked like long-lost brothers and he even invited me for a visit to Mathare slums, where he grew up.
Other sportspersons who see the media as an adversary would do well to borrow a leaf from Okoth and others.
