Ndirangu Gakuo, the chairman of the Squash Interim Committee, believes things may start looking up for the sport if members of the Kenya Squash and Rackets Association elect competent officials during the polls set for November 1 at the Parklands Sports Club.
For almost two years, there has been leadership vacuum at the Parklands Sports Club-based KSRA following court disputes that began in March 2018.
Squash affairs have remained interrupted and the league went into a haitus after the 2017 season. In an attempt to fill the void, clubs took charge and have been holding open tournaments in Nairobi, Mombasa, Embu and Nakuru.
The elections had been postponed twice since last year. In February, the incumbent officials of KSRA chaired by David Ngunjiri refused to appoint an independent electoral panel to run the election and remained adamant that they themselves will conduct the polls.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal intervened and formed an Interim Committee with the sole mandate of planning the elections.
“At last we can get stuff going. I am optimistic that those who will be elected will have the capacity to get the sport to a better standing. We need to have the activities rolling all-year,” said Gakuo, a veteran squash player.
Positions up for elections are chairman, two vice-chairpersons, honorary secretary, treasurer and seven committee members.
The elections will be conducted by an independent elections panel approved by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), autonomous from the squash fraternity including Martin Adipo (returning officer), Digesh Unia, Hilda Kamau, Prian Chandaria, Rajesh Karia and Wangila Waliaula.
