By AYUMBA AYODI
Accreditation hitch on Thursday saw four cyclists, including veteran David Kinja and an official fail to travel for the Commonwealth Games due on July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Also failing to travel was Samson Okuto from the Elite Athlete with Disability team after a wrong entry by name for accreditation as most competitors in athletics team opted to stay behind.
Martin Owila has also been replaced by seasoned Biko Adema in the Sevens rugby team after he failed to secure his accreditation on time.
However, Team Kenya general manager Pius Ochieng said the problems were being sorted out and the athletes would fly out latest on Monday. Kinja, who will be making his third appearance at the “Club” Games after Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006, was left behind alongside debutants Doreen Musoliza, Mary Mburu and Caroline Ondiege.
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
Anjelina Achieng, who is in charge of the women cyclists, was also left behind. “The biometrics for the cycling team and athletes in Para Sport are being processed and there should be no cause for alarm,” said Ochieng, who saw off seven other athletes in the cycling, bowling, triathlon and wrestling teams.
Joyce Nyaruri, who finished fourth at the All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011, is the cycling team captain.
Some of the track and field athletes and marathoners who were due to leave yesterday will now depart for Glasgow on different days.
Meanwhile, all was well in the Kenyan camp after the Government paid the athletes their overseas allowances starting Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday.
Among those who opted to remain behind is the overall team captain Ezekiel Kemboi, who is the Olympic and World 3,000m champion. The 3,000m steeplechase men and women’s teams will leave on August 1.
Courtesy of nation.co.ke