Shakava's appeal to the President

Gor Mahia captain Harun Shakava has joined the bandwagon of players beseeching President Uhuru Kenyatta to permit the resumption of sporting activities.

Last month, the head of state handed sportsmen yet another blow after ordering them to put their tools down as a way of taming the increasing number of coronavirus cases.

The announcement did not sit well with players who were yet to recover from the effects triggered by last year's lengthy suspension.

Hardly had the President concluded his speech delivered on March 25 than the affected athletes voiced their concerns over the restrictions and ban which was heavily criticized as punitive considering that sports rolled on behind closed doors.

Last week, the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) in a bold statement pilled more pressure on the government to lift the ban, arguing that it had subjected players to untold suffering, loss of income and would was unwelcome distraction to players preparing for international assignments.

Shakava who boasts of skipping the most successful football club in the country has urged the President to heed to the pleas of players and give them something to smile about.

The central defender who returned to the club in February said players have been struggling to make ends meet from the time the ban was imposed and appealed for its review.

"If I had the opportunity to meet the President I would urge him to allow us back to the pitches. We have been struggling to meet our basic needs from the time we were told to break camp," he said after receiving his Covid-19 vaccine.

Shakava who was handed the armband last month in an internal reshuffle at the club in the meantime insisted that Gor are firmly in the race to claim the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) despite trailing leaders Tusker by fourteen points.

The defending champions have been stuttering this season but Shakava believes the wounded lion will roar again and possibly toast the crown for the 20th time.

"We are capable of catching up with them if we win our matches. No one should write Gor off in the race to the crown. We had begun gathering steam before the league was suspended and I hope we will pick from where we left," he said.