African champ Sawe barred from training at Kasarani

Two-time African High Jump champion Mathew Sawe has been denied entry to the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani where he is supposed to be training ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The main stadium where Sawe was set to train is being used for the ongoing African Deaf Athletics Championships, but the competition took a break on Thursday and thus the facilities were available for use.

Sawe, the only athlete representing Kenya in High Jump at the global event, was forced to to do light warm up and could not hide his disappointment after he was locked out.

“Yesterday afternoon I wanted to train but I was denied entry to the stadium. I came today morning and it was the same case as I was also denied access to the stadium,” a dejected Sawe told Citizen Digital.

National team head coach Julius Kirwa blamed the stadium officials for not acting in good faith by denying Sawe entry to the main stadium.

“They are telling us that we need a letter for Sawe to access the stadium yet at the moment we are using the warm up track which is also a facility of the stadium. If they are genuine then they should also deny us from using the warm up track,” said Kirwa.

Sawe’s coach Moussa Fall who is one of the trainers appointed by Athletics Kenya was also left stranded at the warm up track.

“I am very angry in that they can even deny an athlete representing the nation an opportunity to train in their own facilitaties,” the French man regretted.

After contacting top AK officials Kirwa disclosed that the issue is being handled by the team manager Joseph Kiget with Sawe hoping to resume training the soonest.