Nock now bows to pressure to adopt new constitution

The National Olympics Committee-Kenya (Nock) Executive beat a hasty retreat on Tuesday and pledged to adopt the new constitution less than 48 hours before the country faces possible sanctions from the International Olympics Committee.

According to communication from Secretary General, Francis Kinyili Paul, another Extraordinary Meeting of Stakeholders will take place on March 28 where the new IOC backed constitution is expected to be ratified by a ‘show of hands’.

Five items are listed on the agenda for the Extraordinary Meeting by Paul starting with a roll call, “to receive, discuss and adopt the new draft Constitution (by show of hands), proposal and ratification of the date of the Electoral General Assembly.

“Proposal and adoption (by the General Assembly) of persons who will form  ‘the Independent Electoral Board’ to oversee and conduct the election process for the Electoral General Assembly and all Associations/Federations shall be represented by two delegates, with one delegate carrying voting rights.”

According to the circular by the embattled Nock secretary who is facing charges in court, affiliate federations shall be represented by two delegates, with one delegate carrying voting rights.

“Please confirm your participation and indicate the name of the voting delegate,” the communiqué adds.

The exercise will pave way for the setting of a date for fresh Nock elections that could spell the end of the long reign of senior Executives led by President and Olympics Laureate, Dr. Kipchoge Keino.

Last Thursday, the IOC announced the withdrawal of funding for Nock after the passage of the new constitution was shot down in a vote after failing to muster the required two-thirds majority that could have seen it ratified.

The IOC Executive Board has Kenya on its agenda in their meeting on Thursday and Friday in South Korea, and the latest U-turn from the tough-talking Nock bosses is to forestall the threat of tough sanctions including an Olympic ban for Kenya or suspension of individual officials.

In resolutions attached to the communication by Paul, the Nock Executive “has unanimously agreed to support the adoption of the draft constitution.”

This is in contrast to what the sitting executive declared last Tuesday when a second Extraordinary Meeting ended without the passage of the draft document with two IOC observers in attendance.

This irked the international Olympics body told Citizen Digital it had frozen funds for the Nock office and promised further sanctions.

Andrew Mudibo, the Kenya Table Tennis Association boss welcomed the development that brings the end of an era at Nock management closer.

“We are pleased to now that NOCK has this time decided to follow the IOC directive that had been issued on 3rd of March 2017, which had clear instructions on what needed to be done.

“This time round we do believe that everyone including the Executive will vote for the adoption of the negotiated NOCK Constitution, so that Kenyan sportsmen and sportswomen can be able to benefit in full fruits from the Olympic Movement,” Mudibo who was named by Nock affiliates as Interim Secretary General when Sports, Culture and the Arts Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Hassan Wario disbanded the body on August 27, 2016, said in a statement.

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constitution IOC NOCK sanctions Dr. Kipchoge Keino

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