Kenya could pull out of this year’s Olympic games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, over the Zika virus outbreak, the head of Kenya’s Olympics committee has said.
Kenya boasts of some of the best middle ad long-distance runners in the world. The east African nation topped the medals table at the 2015 World athletics championships.
“Obviously, we are not going to risk taking Kenyans there if this Zika Virus reaches epidemic levels,” Kipchoge Keino told Reuters.
If Kenya pulls out, the event will be denied the presence of renowned athletes such as the crowd-pulling 3000m steeplechase multi-champion Ezekiel Kemboi, 800m world record holder David Rudisha, YouTube javelin hit-maker Julius Yego among many more.
Meanwhile the United States Olympic Committee told U.S. sports federations that athletes and staff concerned for their health over the Zika virus should consider not going to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.
The message was delivered in a conference call involving USOC officials and leaders of U.S. sport federations in late January, according to two people who participated in the call.
Federations were told that the athletes shouldn’t go to Brazil “if they don’t feel comfortable going. Bottom line,” said Donald Anthony, president and board chairman of USA Fencing.
