Our advance party in Rio is fine, Wario assures

Sports, Arts and Culture Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Hassan Wario has reiterated Kenya will send a clean team to the Rio 2016 Olympics that starts in just over a week as he reported the advance party in Brazil was ‘fine’.

Speaking at a function in Nairobi, the minister allayed any concern over the first batch that left last Sunday following reports of the torrid conditions in the Olympics Village in Rio with broken plumbing, dirty rooms and non-functioning facilities.

“The rugby teams; both men and women  have settled well in the Olympics Village and are eager to start their competition next week,” Wario stated.

Concern over Rio de Janeiro’s preparations erupted on Sunday when the Australian delegation said it would not stay in the official accommodation, as the housing was “not safe or ready” amid problems with leaky plumbing, blocked toilets and exposed wires.

Other countries such as Argentina, Italy and New Zealand also expressed concerns. However, the Australian delegation praised Rio’s swift response, after authorities deployed hundreds of workers to conduct repairs.

The minister also announced the rugby sevens squads would also have a different reward package from the rest of the Rio 2016 Team Kenya competitors since they are featuring as teams after the Government confirmed individual medallists would pocket Ksh1m for gold, Ksh750,000 for silver and Ksh500,000 for bronze.

“The money will be paid directly into the athletes accounts. All one needs to do is bring the correct bank details and everything will be sorted out,” he emphasised.

Wario further assured all arrears from the last Olympics in London four years ago under the Government reward scheme had been settled.

“The Ministry has enough money to reward medalists. In fact we have paid all the medal money that was pending and if anyone says they have not be paid they are lairs or gave us the wrong banking details,” the CS told Citizen Digital.

On doping, the minister stressed everything had been done to ensure the team heading to Brazil will not hit the wrong headlines by having any athlete caught with proscribed substances in their system as Kenya waits for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to declare the nation compliant to its Code.

“Kenya has had a tough tussle with Wada fronting conditions compelling Kenya to put in place an anti-doping law compliant to the Wada Code. This doping concern has been addressed and fulfilled.

“On November 13, 2015 Kenya finally established The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya. We will not relent our efforts to play clean in sports especially in the fight against use of banned substances in sports,” the minister charged.

At last year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing, two female sprinters failed dope tests in what blighted a performance where Kenya ruled the world and authorities are keen to ensure there is no repeat after the International Olympics Committee ordered increased testing before the country’s runners can participate in Rio 2016.