NAIROBI, Kenya, February 28- The door has not been shut on Collins Injera in the national sevens team set-up, the director of national team and elite performance at Kenya Rugby Union (KRU), Philip Jalango revealed on Thursday.
Speaking to Capital Sport, the official said the decision to terminate his contract with the national side was still binding but the Union was seeking a solution even after Injera’s club, Mwamba RFC claimed their man was being victimised by KRU due to a dispute over player ownership with them.
“Injera needs to apologise to the national team management and his team mates and then we will reconsider bringing him back to the squad. The team is still training for Hong Kong sevens and the players are not considering quitting in his support.
“We are seeking to resolve this matter and until communication comes from us, other reports about the situation are not true,” Jalango explained on phone.
Mwamba leapt to the defence of Injera by sensationally claiming that he and the other two club players in the national sevens set up, Horace Otieno and Dennis Ombachi are not in possession of “executed copies of the said contracts.”
“How is it possible for someone to sign a contract and retain no copy? The player is being misguided here,” the director posed.
Mwamba also slammed allegations that Injera skipped four training sessions, a decision that led to the termination of his contract saying that the player only skipped sessions held on February 22 and Monday 25.
“They are not the ones who log in the register of our sessions and as such, are not in a position to establish accurately when he was there or not,” Jalango who called to an end to the shouting match between the parties responded.
Mwamba subsequently lifted the suspensions they had imposed on Injera alongside Otieno and Ombachi for failing to honour their Kenya Cup semi-final tie alleging it was KRU that forced the trio to miss the encounter that saw them fall 19-18 to Strathmore.
“Injera has always been a model sportsman and disciplined member of the club over the years and the KRU is now punishing him in order to settle scores with Mwamba RFC and intimidate the club over its stance over the rights to own our players.
“Injera only finds himself finds himself in the cross fire of this club versus country dispute. What we ask is why is Injera the only player targeted in this issue.”
On Wednesday, KRU chairman, Mwangi Muthee speaking from South Africa where he is attending a seminar insisted indiscipline would not be tolerated in the squad.
Kenya are training for the sixth HSBC World Series leg in Hong Kong that will run from March 22 to 24 as the country seeks to recover from their limp outing at Las Vegas Sevens.