Kenya’s Sports Minister Hassan Wario on Monday maintained he would not reverse the decision to disband the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) over the ongoing “Rio fiasco” scandal.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is in spite of fears of an imminent ban from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over orders to dissolve it last week.
Senior NOCK officials are currently being investigated —- and could face criminal charges —- over alleged mismanagement of Kenya’s Olympic team and officials during the Rio Olympics.
Wario said an eight-member team would also look into the allegations.
Complaints ranged from problems with accreditation and transportation to missing kit and trouble with accommodation.
As part of the investigation, police raided the NOCK headquarters and found cartons containing kits meant for athletes.
However, athletics boss Jackson Tuwei has warned that the decision to disband NOCK could affect the country’s reputation after registering good results at the just-ended Olympics.
In a separate interview, retired athlete and NOCK President Kipchoge Keino raised similar concerns.
Kenya is expected to send a delegation to IOC headquarters in a fortnight to defend its decision.(NAN)