Kenya official accused of scuttling U-18 Athletics Worlds

Nairobi, June 7 (IANS) The chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the IAAF World Athletics Under-18 Championships has accused a top Athletics Kenya (AK) official of attempting to scuttle the global event.

LOC Chairman Mwangi Muthee on Tuesday accused AK Youth Chairman Barnabas Korir of attempting to derail the event, saying Korir is the person who wished for "insular handling of Team Kenya preparations", reports Xinhua news agency.

"His way was nowhere near the best. Some aspects of the pre-trials in Eldoret were in shambles. For instance, from the region where Korir is chairman, two sets of technical officials appeared in Eldoret and one group had to be embarrassed, going without accommodation, food and transport," Mwangi charged.

"Korir has no option than to appreciate that the LOC's and the ministry's operations are far smoother, accountable and transparent. I am disappointed that he is a principal source of murmuring and unfounded claims that Team Kenya is not well looked after."

This claim brought the simmering tensions between the organisers of the global track and field event and the outspoken Korir to the surface ahead of the July 12 to 16 event.

Muthee argued Korir's docket at the federation has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of funding from the WU18 secretariat under advise from Korir.

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