NAIROBI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- There was no pomp and circumstance for the Kenyan team that returned home from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games having won 16 medals - four gold, seven silver and five bronze.
Elijah Manangoi, the new Commonwealth Games 1,500m champion, who was also the overall team captain, pointed an accusing finger at a lack of government support and sponsorship being to blame for the poor performance.
"We cannot hide our faces anymore. We must say it. Sport need government support. Our standards in sports are going down each day and unless something is done to safeguard the welfare of the athletes and coaches, it will be similar trend at the Tokyo Olympics," Manangoi said on Monday in Nairobi.
The Commonwealth Games, which ended on Sunday remains Kenya's worst performance at the Games
"You really don't expect to reap handsomely from what you didn't sow," Manangoi said .
It is a wake-up call for the Kenyan sports industry ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Manangoi believes unless clear structures are put in place like government incentives to train and more investment in future talent, Kenya may miss out on medals in Japan.
While defending the selection criteria, Manangoi believes the coaches did the best with what they had since majority of the elite runners opted to stay at home and focus on the lucrative Diamond league and road races instead of running for free at the Gold Coast.
"It shocked everyone to the core when Kenya lost the women's steeplechase and marathon titles. It's not the first time Uganda is beating us at the long distance events," Manangoi said.
The 2010 event in Delhi, where the country scooped 32 medals (12 Gold, 11 Silver, 9 Bronze) was the best in the history of the games for Kenya.
