Kemboi's domestic tribulations

By now most of you have heard of the very unfortunate legal and domestic tribulations of the world top steeplechase athlete on the forefront of national news coverage. That piece of negative news wasn’t the ideal way to follow up on a highly successful Olympic Trials event last weekend. News that Olympic  and World 3000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi landed in court on Thursday after being charged with allegedly assaulting a female companion in Eldoret.

I and I’m sure, numerous other sports fans world-wide, were extremely disappointed to hear of Kemboi’s shocking brush with the law.   It was upsetting to see one of the most exciting athletes this country has ever produced, sitting in the dock accused of very serious allegations at a critical time in the athletics calendar.

The timing just couldn’t be any worse. With the London Olympics looming in less than a month, this is a key period of preparation given that Kemboi was selected for that team after finishing 2^nd in the Trials last Saturday. This crucial period is where focus and mental preparation takes center stage in the lead up to the biggest event of an athlete’s career. Any major distraction or negative circumstance is bound to affect performance.

Kemboi’s case is an isolated one and as we wait for the courts to sort that out, we can’t allow these types of isolated incidents to cloud the image of our amazing athletics country as it prepares for London. The majority of our Kenyan athletes are renowned for their discipline and are fundamentally decent people.

I do not want to speculate on Kemboi’s fate or the unfortunate circumstances he finds himself in, I’d like to see him focus on preparing for the biggest show. A master performer and entertainer on the track for about a decade now, London should be his last hurrah on an amazing career.

This Kemboi incident, whether found guilty or not, illustrates the simple fact that athletes professional athletes must understand– regardless of sport, notoriety – are public figures that don’t only represent themselves. They’re role-models, larger-than-life figures that represent their team, family, sponsors and profession.

It is a lesson to many athletes not to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Personal brands that have meticulously built over the years are destroyed with one such incident.

That’s why every time an athlete has a brush with the law; the repercussions are extensive and unforgiving.