Extreme Sports Limited the company behind the highly rated grassroots leagues, the Sportpesa Super 8 leagues and tournament, has responded to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) letter dated August 5 banning the leagues and all clubs and persons participating in them with a court injunction lifting the same.
Below is the full response as obtained from Extreme Sports;
EXTREME SPORTS LTD RESPONSE TO FKF THREATS OF SUSPENSION OF CLUBS AND PLAYERS
Reference is made to the letter by the purported CEO of Football Kenya Federation (FKF), Robert Muthomi, dated 26th August, 2016 threatening to suspend clubs, players and organizers that participate in the SUPER 8 SOCCER tournaments and leagues.
Extreme Sports is dismayed at the manner in which FKF has continued to try curb competitive grassroots soccer, particularly Super 8 Soccer. FKF has not cited a single grumble against SUPER 8 SOCCER. The federation wishes to eradicate supper 8 soccer due to its unprecedented success. This maneuver will distort the development of grassroots football and football clubs in the country.
Due to the fact that FKF is not a national sports organization under the Sports Act No.25 of 2013, Extreme Sports Ltd has taken legal action in the High Court.
Extreme Sports lawyers sued FKF on 19th August, 2016 challenging the legality of the suspension threats to Super 8 Soccer and legality of FKF as a national sports organization. Extreme Sports believes that FKF is an unlawful sports organization that has failed to comply with the Sports Act No.25 of 2013 prior to the conduct of its elections.
The case, High Court Civil Case No.216 of 2016 (Hussein Rashid Mohammed & Extreme Sports Ltd vs FKF, Nick Mwendwa, Robert Muthomi & AG) came up in the High Court on Monday 29th August, 2016, wherein the following orders were made:
1. THAT a temporary injunction do and is issued at first instance restraining the 1st, 2nd and or 3rd Defendants/Respondents, their servants and agents, from putting into effect the threats of suspension carried in a letter dated the 5th August, 2016 addressed to the 1st and 2nd Plaintiffs/Applicants by the 3rd Defendant/Respondent on his own behalf and or on behalf of the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents, pending the hearing and determination of this application.
2. THAT, if in fact the threats of suspension carried in the 1st and 3rd Defendants’/Respondents’ letter dated the 5th August, 2016 addressed to the 1st and 2nd Plaintiffs/Applicants by the 3rd Defendant/Respondent on his own behalf and or on behalf of the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents has already been effected, a mandatory injunction do and is issued at first instance against and directing the 1st, 2nd and or 3rd Defendants/Respondents to lift the suspensions threatened in its said letter, pending the hearing and determination of this application.
Extreme Sports, advised by its lawyers that in effect the threatened suspensions have been stayed (stopped) by the High Court pending a hearing of the case.
Because the matter is now sub-judice, Extreme Sports rests its statement here, pending the determination by the Court of the legal questions herein a fore stated.
