ELDORET, April 4- Former 5000m world champion and International Association of Athletics federation (IAAF) Athletes’ Representative, Benjamin Limo has explained why he quit his post as Athletics Kenya Uasin Gishu branch chairman.
Limo, who has been on top of Uasin Gishu athletics since 2013, resigned last week citing a poor working relationship with AK’s head office, doping and poor constitution that does not recognise athletes as key stakeholders in the federation.
He added the decision was made after discussions with friends saying his name was bigger than the federation “led by individuals who have no athletes’ interest at heart but pursue personal gains.”
“I extensively consulted people from out and within just to ensure that I don’t hurt anyone in the process. Many times we are in IAAF meetings, officials ask me hard questions about doping in Kenya, which I fail to answer and AK is not ready to deal with the menace,” said Limo.
-Shielding doping-
Limo took issue with AK accusing them of shielding and protecting some managers and coaches who are adversely mentioned countrywide.
“AK is not ready to fight doping and it happens that majority of athletes affected by such vices come from almost one camp and AK is doing nothing to curb the vice.
“The same accused managers are foreigners enjoying protection of AK but destroying the image and athletes future yet we have not seen any action taken,” the Helsinki 5000m World champion charged.
The only gold medallist at the 2005 IAAF Worlds slammed the AK constitution that ‘does not favour athletes but outsiders who do not know athletics at all.’
“I have been in athletics for 20 years and this constitution does not mention anywhere about athletes who are stakeholders in the federation.
“World record holders like David Rudisha will never be in the management. In this constitution, anybody is allowed to join so long as you have Sh500. The current members from top to bottom, there is no single athlete, that is wrong,” he lamented.
With the current wrangles in AK, Limo rued he had been part of “a bad governing system, saying the entire top brass needs to be dissolved.
“Working in a dysfunction system, even if you are good, the system will obviously fail you. Your name will be dragged into the list of bad managers, when you are not. That is why I had to quit as AK chairman of Uasin Gishu and secretary of Central Rift region,” he stated.
