Sports

Kiptum’s alleged ‘baby mama’ seeks recognition for child after court denies DNA test request

Published

10 months ago

March 7, 2024

Edna Awuor Otieno, the 22-year-old woman who claims to have a child for late world marathon record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, says she is seeking recognition for her child after a Kenyan court denied her request for a DNA test before Kiptum was buried on February 23.

Despite the setback and the attendant backlash from Kenyans, Otieno says she remains determined to establish paternity for her child and engage directly with Kiptum’s family.

Before Kiptum was buried, Otieno had, through her attorney Joseph Ayaro, approached the High Court in Eldoret with a plea to extract DNA samples from Kiptum’s body for paternity testing.

The request, according to the filing, was directed towards establishing the fatherhood of Otieno’s baby purportedly fathered by Kiptum.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Wananda, in his ruling, cited public interest surrounding Kiptum’s burial and suggested alternative legal avenues for her to prove paternity, and subsequently denying the application.

But Otieno says she is undeterred by the verdict and judicial system’s decision, vowing to pursue the case and open dialogue with Kiptum’s family.

“We started living together in 2019. Kelvin was present at the hospital when our son was born, and he even named him Andrian Cherop Kiptum,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.

She added that her quest for legal acknowledgment of her son’s paternity stems from a desire to quell public speculation and ensure the child’s rightful place within Kiptum’s lineage.

“I went to court so that we could have a DNA test and stop the public from asking questions, but the court said I went too late. I now want to have discussions with Kiptum’s family so that the child can get recognized by the family,” she explained in the interview.

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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)