SDT To Announce Chespol Case Judgement Day On September 11

NAIROBI, Kenya- Two-time World Under 20 women 3000m steeplechase champion, Celliphine Chepteek Chespol will learn the judgement date of a landmark case she has filed against Athletics Kenya (AK) and American sports apparel giants Nike on September 11.

In a suit filed at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), Chespol, 19, seeks to annul a contract she entered aged 16 in 2015 claiming she was coerced and duped to sign it after being promised USD10,000 from Nike.

The same agreement also made Belgian Marc Corstjens of Golazo Sports her manager without her knowledge with coach Gregory Kilonzo and AK Nairobi chairman, Barnaba Korir identified in the suit as the persons responsible for making her sign the contract.

Chespol, who won silver at the April Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 9:22.61 despite carrying an injury, also wants the Tribunal to validate the contract she signed with Owen Andersen in March as her new Athletes’ Representative.

Elynah Shiveka, sitting in for SDT chairman, John Ohaga, adjourned the case after a hearing lasting just over 30 minutes where the athlete was cross-examined by defence lawyer, Elias Masika before being led to give testimony by her counsel Sarah Ochwadah.

"We shall reconvene here on September 11 where the day for a verdict in this case will be known,” Shiveka who was chairing the SDT hearing on Tuesday afternoon said.

It is a first case of its kind in Kenya where an athlete is suing the federation and its biggest sponsor with stakeholders following proceedings keenly since the final verdict could have far reaching effects on in the sport.

Testifying under oath, Chespol confirmed when questioned by Masika that the three-page document produced before the Tribunal was the contentious contract with Nike and Golazo that was to lapse after two years.

However, AK declined to give her a clearance letter to run the 2018 IAAF Diamond League meetings of Rome (May 31), Paris (June 30) and Monaco (July 20) on the grounds she was double-registered which prompted the runner to seek redress at the SDT.

On May 24, the Tribunal granted Chespol interim orders to compete until the matter is heard and resolved with the athlete telling the hearing she signed the contract at during Team Kenya's residential camp for the Cali 2015 IAAF World Under 17 Championships in Colombia.

"I was not given the contract to read. I was just shown where to sign and given some money but I do not remember the date,” Chespol said.

Masika overrulled

After the Tribunal overruled Masika's objection for the athlete not to be re-examined by Ochwadah, Chespol who hails from Mount Elgon testified that it was Kilonzo, a national team coach at the time who called her down from her room at the Milele Hotel in Nairobi to sign a document.

When the pair stepped outside, she continued, they entered a vehicle where Korir, who also serves as the Chairman of the Youth Committee with AK and is also known to be the point-man for Golazo in Kenya was sat.

"I was only given one page to sign and not the whole document. There was no other signature or initials in the paper I signed. It was only coach Kilonzo, Korir and I in the black car,” Chespol insisted.

The disputed agreement before SDT bears the signatures of Kilonzo and two other individuals denoted by their initials C.C and J.C who acted as witnesses.

Chespol, who came to global attention when she won gold in the girls’ 2000m steeplechase in Colombia after stopping the timer at 6:17.15, maintained she was not aware the paper she signed was part of a three-page contract tying her down to Nike, Golazo and Corstjens.

"I was told to hurry up and sign the paper and there was nothing written on it. It is only when I visited (Korir’s office) in Madaraka (Nairobi) later that I was told Marc is my manager," she narrated. 

At 16, Chespol did not have the legal capacity to enter into a contract and needed a guardian but the athlete explained why she did not inform her parents.

"My mother cannot read and she was in Mount Elgon at the time.”

Chespol broke the World Under 20 women steeplechase record in Eugene, Oregon on May 27, 2017 where she blasted to 8:58.78- the third fastest time in history over the water and barriers race.

She became the first athlete to successfully defend her world U20 title at Tampere 2018 when she crossed the line in 9:12.78 on July 13 to hold on to the honour she first won at Bydgoszcz 2016, Poland in 9:25.15 (July 22).

Her next race is penned for August 31 in Brussels.