by Justin Lagat
Milcah Chemos, Campaccio 2013, photo by PhotoRun.net
Justin Lagat wrote this piece two weeks ago. He spoke to Milcah Chemos, the former steeplechaser who now works with Athletics Kenya, on how athletes will be involved with getting their managers approved for representing athletes in Kenya. This can be problematic, as some managers were already blamed for things that they never did. This program was put in place because the athletes know their managers better than Athletics Kenya.
Kenyan Athletes to clear managers before they are registered again with Athletics Kenya
Through their athlete representative, Milcah Chemos, Kenyan athletes have been urged to report any agents who mistreat them in any way, fail to honor their commitments, fail to release their money in time, encourage doping in their managements, among other concerns before they can be registered to work with Athletics Kenya in 2019, or be deregistered in case they are already registered.
Despite having been on a maternity leave from running, the 2013 world champion in the women’s 3000m steeplechase event has been receiving calls from athletes and jotting down their concerns. She went ahead and tabled her recommendations to athletics Kenya and her idea was well received and adopted.
I was lucky to get on a brief chat with her on phone this morning (the 14th of December 2018). She said that the exercise will enable athletes to voice their concerns and get them dealt with in the right way. “It is also a two way exercise in which managements will as well get to report athletes who break their commitments with them. Some managers have been reporting athletes who sign into new managements before the end of their contracts and such athletes should also settle their issues amicably with their past managements before moving on to new ones,” she said.
“I, with the support of AK, am urging all athletes to come up with any issue that has been affecting them in their managements. Be it to do with the way they are treated there, the issue of their money not getting paid out on time, if they are being encouraged to dope in any way, among other grievances that they may be having.
The year is about to end and, according to Chemos, it would be proper if all the issues are dealt with before new commitments are made again. Many managers are currently in the process of renewing their contracts in order to work with Athletics Kenya again next year, but those with issues to clear with their athletes will have to do it first.
Chemos has received a number of complaints so far from some athletes and she is taking them before AK probably on Monday. She is encouraging more athletes to grab this opportunity and raise their issues so that they can all be tackled hopefully before the new year begins.
“The issues that have been raised so far mostly touches on the delay in the part of some of the managements in issuing athletes with their money. There have also been some issues on some of the managements,” she said. “I have not yet been able to receive any complain that touches on doping, yet.”
“As long has a management still has some issues to clear with any of their athletes, even one, then they will not go ahead in renewing their registration with Athletics Kenya for next year,” Chemos said.
