Badminton Kenya back to drawing board as SDT revokes squad

Badminton Kenya will have to go back to the drawing board after the Sports Disputes Tribunal on Tuesday evening made a ruling quashing the team they had selected for this month’s All African Games set for Morocco, and ordering that a fresh squad be picked in strict conformity and adherence to the procedures.

And with time fast-ticking to the Games, the federation will have to move with speed to fulfill this requirement.

The claimants led by Abraham Wogute accused Badminton Kenya for arbitrary, unlawfully, maliciously and unfairly locking out players to participate in the national team to represent Kenya in the 12th All Africa Games (AAG) in Morocco scheduled from August 19 to 31.

The claimants, some of whom are also badminton players including Sheila Gakii, Edwin Waitathu and Loice Andia accused Badminton Kenya of picking a team that did not fulfill the requirements set up in the selection policy.

According to the petitioners, 50 percent of team members named did not fulfill section 4.3 of the said criteria as they did not take part in at least 50 percent of the tournaments in the ranking period stated.

Badminton Kenya President Peter Muchiri Kamau claimed the federation deliberately delayed selection and communication of the national team to the games and flouted their own timelines in order to leave no time for the claimants to seek legal redress in time.

The Ministry of Sports gave the team a slot of eight players to the games but in startling admission, Muchiri accepted that only six players of the eight met the selection criterion.

Among those selected include Sammy Sikoyo, Edwin Akwany, Mercy Joseph, Sharon Juma and Shana Patel.

In his submissions, the president proposed the panel remove the two players from the squad to open up slots for players who would qualify by fair selection.

The proposal was however rejected after the Sports Tribunal Committee nullified the whole selection process.

“Come back with the names of each of the persons who will participate in the play-offs and the reason why you have selected them and a structure of the play-offs under which we will then adopt as an order of the tribunal,” Tribunal boss John Ohaga ruled.

“Also provide a date of the playoffs because we will want you to come back and give us the selection which we will adopt.”

The federation was however given a chance to come up with the best criteria to choose players who will represent the nation as long as they follow the selection policy according to the sports act.

The tribunal committee will today meet with the claimants and the respondent to hear the criteria the federation will have chosen to select players for the AAG in Morocco.