Kenya undecided on hosting Cecafa events

Kenya is not yet decided whether to host the two Cecafa competitions this year despite earning full rights to host the events last year in Kampala, Uganda. Kenya Football Limited (KFL) confirmed the uncertainty last week and admitted that organizing two regional tournaments is in jeopardy following the liquidation of their main sponsors, GTV. “We will sit down with Cecafa next week and see whether we can host the Under-17 championship. We will also discuss the Senior Challenge Cup. “But without sponsorship, it will be difficult. On our own we cannot do it,” FKL Secretary Sammy Obingo told daily Nation, adding that they had done their budget based on the GTV sponsorship but they have are now back to the situation where as hosts, they must cater for everything. According to KFL, they had put up a budget of Kenyan Shillings eight million (Ksh8million) for the U-17 championship and another Ksh12 million for the Senior Challenge Cup. In December, KFL re-confirmed their position as hosts of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup to be held at the same month this year and the U-17 Youth Championship to be held in May. Their commitment was however based on a GTV’s four-year $6 million sponsorship deal with Cecafa signed in 2007. The GTV sponsorship included $500,000 each year catering for tickets, accommodation and prize money for the Senior Challenge Cup. Despite making their commitment in December, FKL have not even constituted a Local Organising Committee for the U-17 championship nor given the exact dates and venues for the tournament. Kenya last hosted the Senior Challenge Cup in 1994.However, the Cecafa secretariat thinks that Kenya is ready to host all events even without GTV. The Cecafa spokesman Finny Keshi told Times Sport on phone from Nairobi over the weekend that they have not yet received any official confirmation from KFL that they will not host the Cecafa games “We know that they are ready to host the events starting with the Youth Championship and the Challenge Cup,” Keshi said. Ends

Lifestyle

Kenya undecided on hosting Cecafa events