NAIROBI Taron Johnson Hat , Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Having rolled elaborate home coming parties in the recent past to celebrate success on the international stage, Kenya's national rugby 7s team tip-toed back to the country Monday morning following underwhelming tours of Las Vegas and Wellington.
Team officials were keen to avoid the press on their return from New Zealand where they won the Bowl competition last weekend in the face of mounting criticism against South African head coach, Paul Treu's methods.
Their outings in the fourth and fifth legs of the HSBC World Series yielded only 15 points after failing to progress past the group stage to the Main Cup quarters with final appearances in the Bowl competition on both rounds counting as scant consolation.
Kenya failed to qualify for the Main Cup quarters for the first time in the 201314 season to leave the country rooted eighth in the Series standings on 47 points.
Defeats to Samoa and Australia on Saturday knocked Kenya out of the Main Cup in New Zealand only for the country to salvage some pride by beating Scotland 24-14 to lift the Bowl and earn eight series points at a tournament they lost the Main Cup final in sudden death to England 19-24 last season.
This did not stop the chorus of discontent from mounting against the former South Africa head coach with Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) boss, Mwangi Muthee Harrison Phillips Hat , compelled to issue a statement pledging unwavering support for Treu.
"One of the most visible positives exhibited in what many would view as an average overall performance in Las Vegas and Wellington was the improvement of some of the youngsters in the Kenya squad."
"The coming-of-age of Oscar Ayodi, Dan Sikuta, Billy Odhiambo and Tony Owuor was evident. We cannot lose sight of the benchmark reached last season; that of finishing 5th in the HSBC Sevens World Series and 4th in the World Cup," Muthee said in a statement dispatched to newsrooms after the low key return in an attempt to draw positives from the performances slammed by many Kenyans.
In a thinly veiled warning to the technical bench led by Treu Jim Kelly Hat , Muthee called on the team to desist from underrating so-called minnow in the remaining legs starting with Japan and Hong Kong tours next month.
"This is a problem the technical bench and the players must solve. In the remaining half of the World Series, everyone must declare war against everybody across the board; not just among the top brass."
"When you respect everybody equally, then I assure you that we shall be a great rugby playing nation. We have already set on a journey to the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil and we must permanently take our high performance very seriously," the Union boss added.
"Clearly John Miller Hat , so far, we have not lived to the expectations of our sponsors who have invested so much in us so that we can be the best we can be," Muthee went on.
With the top four nations in next season's HSBC World Series qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympics, Treu admitted the task of ensuring Kenya joins the 12 nations that will contest in the inaugural competition at the event would not be easy.
"It is going to be tough Shaq Lawson Hat , with Brazil as the host team, there are only 11 spots left, next year the series will be hotly contested but it will be exciting and it is all to play for."
"Most teams would like to finish in the top four and we would rather not go through the regional route. This is why we play this season and compete in 201415 HSBC Sevens World Series," the South African added.
In admitting his side had failed to deliver on expectations Dion Dawkins Hat , Treu conceded the team was regressing having taken the strongest side available to him since he took over in November last year to Las Vegas and New Zealand.
"It was a disappointing day since this is not where we want to be. Two rounds in a row where we didn't qualify for the Main Cup, but I think there are lessons for the players," the coach stressed.
NAY PYI TAW, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and Indonesia are seeking ways to promote cooperation in anti-terrorism in the region Zay Jones Hat , said the Information Committee of the Office of the State Counselor.
It was discussed at a meeting held at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center in Nay Py Taw Wednesday.
The talks covered the status arising from religious extremism in the region and the danger of terrorism.
The discussions mainly involved National Security Adviser U Thaung Tun and other high ranking officials from the Myanmar side, while the Indonesian side was represented by Ambassador Dr. Ito Sumardi and representatives of Indonesian National Counter Terrorism Agency.
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LA PAZ, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales, recently reelected by a landslide to a third consecutive five-year term Kelvin Benjamin Hat , has said the key to his popularity lies in policies that have generated stability and economic growth in the South American nation.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the first indigenous president of Bolivia said nationalizing the country's natural resources and redistributing the wealth to the poor were part of his "magic recipe" for economic growth.