FOOTBALL

Mike Dean has been selected to officiate the clash between Arsenal and Middlesbrough on Saturday at 5:00 O'clock Kenyan Time.

Last year September during Arsenal vs Chelsea game, he dished out two red cards to Santiago Carzola and Gabriel Paulista.

He red carded Paulista after a clash with Diego Costa. Costa was not red carded after the player showed 4 incidents of being sent off but he just escaped with a yellow card.

After the game Arsenal fans petitioned for Mike Dean not to officiate their matches and it received a major boost after they collected 100,000 signatures.

The petition further says that major incidents have occurred in recent and past games that shows is an inept refereeing at his level.

In the last five matches Mike Dean has officiated, Arsenal has not won in any single game.

ATHLETICS

NOCK AFFILIATE TO PROCEED THE REVIEW OF NOCK CONSTITUTION

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) affiliates federation has today vowed to continue with the NOCK Constitution Review Process since NOCK Executive is reluctant.

Speaking at a Nairobi hotel, President of Kenya Table Tennis Association and also the Interim secretary of NOCK, Andrew Mudibo said that NOCK through its Secretary General, Francis K. Paul, is reluctant to proceed with the Constitution Review process according to its mutually agreed timelines

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It was agreed that the interim NOCK, selected by NOCK Executive that in the morning meeting on 5^th October, they will continue with the review of the constitution which will be transparent to the board.

It was also agreed that since the interim NOCK office has already started the process of reviewing the Constitution, the working document will be circulated to the Federations after the first joint constitution review meeting.

Though the constitution review was not completed on 5^th October as it had been anticipated, a second meeting was called for 10^th October to finalize on the document for it to be circulated across all federations.

“ As officials of our National Sports Federation, we shall not sit back and watch NOCK fall due to the personal interests of selected few individuals,” said Mudibo.

They vowed to take action that will redeem NOCK as credible, transparent and athlete-centered institution at the expense of the hard-work of Kenyan Sports men and women.

As a federation we are ready to face consequences of our actions even if it leads to a ban from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“We will be very happy to be banned by the IOC thus giving the government enough time to organize in house policy not just NOCK but also all sports federations in Kenya,” said Mudibo.

The Federation will no longer be held ransom by the mismanagement and corruption that has plagued our sports for many years.

The NOCK affiliates have vowed to invite IOC to send a team of investigators to come to Kenya so as to investigate the conduct of NOCK officials and inspect NOCK accounts for funds that they have been giving to NOCK for its affiliates programs.

They also promised to record statements with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) over abuse of office, misuse of funds, ownership of NOCK assets, mismanagement of NOCK properties and illegal withholding of the Nike kit.

The Federation also shall initiate a forensic audit of all NOCK accounts and assets to be carried out and for the findings to be published for the sake of transparency and accountability within the institution.    

 NOCK Affiliates held an Extra Ordinary Assembly and appointed an interim NOCK office after the disbanding of NOCK officials by the Cabinet Secretary of Sports Dr. Hassan Wario for mishandling of Kenya athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

The Interim NOCK office was set in motion as per the resolutions of the meeting, to review the current NOCK constitution with emphases being amending and aligning the NOCK Constitution to the Sports Act 2013, the Constitution of Kenya and the Olympic Charter.    

RUGBY

Rugby player Innocent Simiyu wins the comeback of the year during the 2014 SOYA Awards at KICC, Nairobi on 16-01-2015.
Who is Innocent Simiyu?

Innocent Simiyu,33, alias Namcos is not new in the Kenyan rugby circles as he skippered both the Kenya Sevens and 15s teams, scoring 58 tries and 15 conversions in the 121 appearances he made for Kenya on the World Sevens Rugby Series between 2002 and 2010.

The youthful coach, who holds a IRB Coaching Level 2 Certificate, comes from a rugby family. He is a sibling of former national team captain Victor Sudi and Impala RFC fly half Nato Simiyu.

Apart from captaining the national teams, Simiyu coached his Ngong Road club Impala in 2014 after coming from a career threatening knee injury he suffered in 2011 during the Bamburi Rugby Super Series. He was a regular player in Ayimba’s team that reached the semi finals of the 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup in Dubai.

RUGBY

Innocent Simiyu in action

KENYA RUGBY UNION ANNOUNCES NATIONAL SEVENS MANAGEMENT TEAMS

The Kenya Rugby Union has on Monday unveiled the management teams for its men's and women's squads.

Former Rugby 7's Captain Innocent Simiyu takes over the mantle of the men's team with Erick Ogweno coming in as the team manager.

Ian Gibbons will be the new strength and conditioning  coah while Lameck Bogonko retains his slot as Team Physio.

Kevin Wambua, who has been acting in an interim capacity, was confirmed as the womens head coah with former player Camilyn Oyuayo taking over the team manager's docket.

Samuel Njogu is the new strength and conditioning while Ben Mahinda stays on as Team Physio.

ATHLETICS

Olympic champions to participate in Ndalat Grass Cross

Athletics who won different medals in the just concluded Olympic champions will participate in this year 8^th Edition of the Ndalat Gaa Cross County marathon.

The official launch was done at the Athletics Kenya (AK) head office, Riadha House. The 8^th edition of Ndalat Gaa Cross country will be held on 15^th October at Mosop constituency in Nandi County.

Athletics Kenya Central Rift Chairman Abraham “solo” Mutai said “this year’s race is bigger than the previous races and the participants expected to more than 5,000.”

The winners of senior races will get Kshs 40,000, veterans Kshs 15,000 and all top 20 finishers will be rewarded.

The race ambassador, 3,000m steeplechase Olympic gold medalist Conseslus Kipruto said he will be part of the race because he is also the product of Ndalat Gaa. “My first cross country that I ever ran was Ndalat and I was in high school and am so proud to be associated with this great event.”

Nicodemus Kipkirui and Caroline Chepkoech will be defending the men and women crowns which they took last year.

“We have partnered with Kimbilio Hospice that cares about cancer and HIV patients and we are pleased to say that it’s the biggest cancer institution in Kenya and is based in Kipkaren near the border of Uasin Gishu and Nandi”, said Joel Sawe the CEO of Kimbilio Hospice.

The president of Athletics Kenya Jackson Tuwei said that, “there are individuals who are holding athletics event without the AK certificate, we warn them and the sponsors who are part of these races to desist from the exercise and seek the office clearance.”

“AK cannot authorize events that they don’t adhere to the doping bill,” said AK president Tuwei.

The race has been put into 5 categories, 7- 12 years, 13 – 18 years, Senior Men and Women and the last category is the veterans.

The deputy governor of Nandi County Dominic Biwott said, “We are happy for this course that has given us an identity in the country.

“We will contribute 1.2 million towards the event, offer ambulance services and close all roads the race will use,” said the deputy governor Nandi County.

Mosop Member of Parliament Kirwa Bitok said that they are happy to host the event in his home area and he will support the event with Kshs 300,000.

The Nandi women representative Hon. Zipporah Kering who also worked with the AK before she joined politics also pledged Kshs 500,000 towards the event. She said athletics made her who she is today “through athletics I have grown and as you can see am a the women rep of Nandi County,” said Zipporah.

The race was the brain child of the late Athletics Kenya President Isaiah Kiplagat which he started eight years ago. This is the last time the race will be called Ndalat Gaa cross country, we will change the name from next season to honor our Former Athletics Kenya President the late Isaac Kiplagat, said the Mutai.

Ndalat Gaa cross Country has produced some of the finest athletes ruling the world they include, Eliud Kipchoge the London Marathon and Olympic Champion gold medalist, Stanley Biwott, Prisca Cheptoo,Agnes Tirop and Faith Chepngetich the Olympic 1500m gold Medalist who has won the marathon four season consecutively.

Ends…

ENGLAND SQUAD

England squad

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Torino, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Stoke), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

Midfielders: Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Michail Antonio (West Ham), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

Marcus Rashford returns to the squad after scoring a hatrick against Norway in the under 21-s.

Jesse Lingard, Manchester United striker who has scored 1 goal in 4 matches earns a first call in the senior team.

Alex Oxlande-Chamberlain returns to the squad after a year absence.

CHAMPIONS HUMILIATED BY CELTA VIRGO

Barcelona suffered a second loss of the season as they were thrashed by Celta Virgo

Celta Virgo took a lead of 3-0 to half time after a brilliant display from Iago Aspas setting up Pione Sisto's, then scoring a second goal and forcing Jeremy Mathieu's to concede an own goal then an awful error from Andre ter Stegen's to hand Celta a fourth goal.

Barcelona came in second half scoring through Gerard Pique's and a penalty from Neymar

Celta Virgo held on for a thrilling win.

Barcelona are missing the services of Lionel Messi.

FRENCH LIGUE ONE

Mario Baloteli celebrates after scoring a goal against Lorient in a 2-1 win.

The Italian striker continues is perfect form scoring 5 goals in 4 matches.

Nice are unbeaten in 8 matches thus to top the league with 20 points.