Little is said about middle and long distance running Coach Noah Busienei, who has nurtured and groomed talents across the country.
The fearless trainer shares his 20 years of coaching, nurturing young athletes to be great runners, how doping has affected images of both athletes and the nation, with court battles on Athletics Kenya elections and lack of transparency in selecting national team coaches for international events.
The son of paramount Chief used to run in the 400m, started running way back in 1990s at Sergoit and Lelmokwo, who started his sporting journey as a footballer, naming his achievements to Ibrahim Kipkemboi Huessin.
“I started my career in football and volleyball before settling in athletics competing in the 400m. When I turned into athletics, I was signed by Ibrahim Hussein, joining his camp which I used to go there during holidays, competing in 5,000m time trials then settling in 400m,” said Busienei.
In 1992, he qualified to represent the country at the World Junior Championships, which did not work out, then earned a chance into the Kenya Air Force, which he did diploma for three years then returned to athletics in 1995.
“Then I joined the Moses Kiptanui camp in 1998 then I became a pacemaker in the 800m. I went to stay in the United Kingdom before joining Barnaba Korir in 2002 then I learnt that I can run well. I joined Gianni in 2004 then I quit running in 2007 because I was interested in business,” he said.
While at Gianni camp, he managed to marry then joined his wife in road running which he failed and concentrated in the 400m then from 2007/8 he started recruiting his own athletes as a coach.
National coaches’ selection
With the World Athletics coming up next month in Tokyo, Japan, Busienei says that coaching is a calling that each coach should be given an opportunity to handle each athlete depending on who coached an individual to the top position.
“Kenya has many coaches, who should be given an opportunity to lead a national team. With Kenya heading for world championships, when the federation names the team, after trials, all the athletes, I wish if I was the one, they should involve all coaches whose athletes have been named in the team,” said Busienei.
He said that there is a need for coaches of respective athletes to accompany the team. All athletes should be trained by their coaches.
“As an athlete, you never know how I trained the said athlete to reach that high competitive level. You don’t know how I have been training the said athletes. National team coaching should not be left to one individual. Not just one coach traveling with the whole team across the world,” said Busienei.
He added that there should be vetting at the federation so that coaches are given equal rights. The federation should give coaches equal chances.
Transition from junior to senior
He recounts that in the past, if there were no people like Hussein, who held his hands, they could not have gone far.
“Ibrahim held my hands among other athletes. Now many people have camps for business unlike in our days. Many camps are business oriented. I was supported by the right people. Many Kenyan athletes lack facilities like I did not have money. Many young athletes face too many problems especially with men,” recounted Busienei.
He said that many people fail to continue with running talents for lack of support because many support they used to get while in school will end after completing school.
“As coaches and sports lovers, we want to get talents from the ground. Even coaches’ lack means to get the best athletes to nurture. Here I blame Athletics Kenya for lack of sponsoring athletes but things are changing slowly.
“These foreigners with camps are in business and when they recognize me as a coach, it will have taken too much time for Kenyans to set up a successful camp. As a coach, I cannot sell my own goods to tap talents as coaches,” he said.
Identifying athletes potential runner
With many budding athletes across the country, to identify a potential runner, he says it is not easy, it takes time but they bring and train all of them together then select each one’s best race.
“We normally bring them together, compete in several races together and because of skills gained, we shall identify how they swing from 100m, 200m, 400m, to 10,000m then work out then you realize the potential race after three to four months,” he explained.
He said that coaching is a thinking factor, which is all about coaching and sharpness in whatever an athlete does.
“Coaching is a calling then developing interests where most of the time, we get results after sometime. Preparing an athlete for a race is not easy like having different athletes for different races, they need speed and endurance. In the 800m and 400m, they train together, 10,000m and 5,000m work together to achieve the target,” he explained.
In making money, Bush said that it is not easy to get money from managers. That is why Athletics Kenya should concentrate on coaches because managers pay in percentage form or salary or winning bonuses from athletes.
No Kenyans manager
Kenyan athletes have been dominated by foreign managers, who have taken the initiative in ensuring athletes train for international assignments.
Bush says that all management is foreign based because they have education.
“The federation has not started giving ideas on athlete management and we don’t have money to start camps. I have worked with almost five managers in my career. At the same time, athletes don’t listen to Kenyan managers or coaches but foreigners, they are quick,” he said.
Doping as a global cartel
The monster of doping in the county may not be fought as easily as many may think. Busienei says that doping has so many issues, which is a cartel and peoples business.
“It is hard to end doping cases because those who send people to dope are based outside Kenya. The first time I saw a doping story was in 2,000, then the issue was done by a particular doctor.
Before you realize that it is doping, it may take long. Some managers treat athletes in a special way.”
“Doping is normally done on top athletes especially with Erythropoietin (EPO), many are given dripping that they have lost sugar. They over train then they give them water in the name of dehydrating but that is how hoping is done. But now things have changed and the majority affected were ladies from maternity,” he said.
He confirmed that the war on doping is an international movement and to have clean sports, they must start engaging athletes and be jailed for the crime committed.
“Athletes should learn that each drip they are given or medication, they have to be careful. We are forced as Kenyans to follow what the foreign managers do. If coaches that don’t cooperate are chased from the place of camps. Doping is like a life ban on a career.
“As a coach I cannot give a doper any program because I will be wasting my time. Some race organisers don’t accept former dopers, even associating with dopers is a crime,” he elaborated.
Matters Athletics Kenya Elections
With court battles, the federation has not held elections since 2012, which, Bush says, has affected career progression for many, hence missing out on proper direction.
“We lack people to give direction in the federation because they control everything. If you see only five people doing everything across the country, that shows lack of leadership. Majority of officials are elderly who have no reason to leave office,” he said.
The introduction of counties opened doors for local leaders to explore but with lack of proper leadership, they cannot run their activities, not allowing five people to carry everything.
“AK has many challenges in elections, especially with the constitution. When we wanted to go into elections, they went to court and now those elected officials are not working because all rules are run from the national office. We want county officials to manage county events and head office officials should only supervise,” he lamented.
“We thank God that we have a new office in Eldoret, which is good but who runs it?”
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