ADAK suspends 20 over doping offences

There is no let-up in the war against doping after the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) published a list of 20 sportsmen and women they have provisionally suspended for doping rules violation.

The list that has mostly athletes also cuts across football, judo and bodybuilding.

This is the first time ADAK has come out to publish the names of the doping offenders before their appeals are heard. 

This is after the change of the 2021 Anti-doping Code that now allows ADAK to release the names of those who violate anti-doping rules immediately.

Former Africa and African Games 10,000m champion Alice Aprot, two-time Africa high jump champion Matthew Sawe, the 2021 World mixed shuttle hurdles relay silver medallist Priscilla Tabunda are among those flagged down.

Stunningly, the 800m athlete Michael Saruni, who was once touted as the would-be David Rudisha’s successor, 2012 Boston Marathon third place finisher Georgina Rono and the 2014 World 4x800m Relay champion Agatha Jeruto have also been suspended.

The 2016 World Under-20 1,500m champion Kumari Taki and Michael Kibet, who finished third in 5,000m at the National Police Service Championships and fourth at the Kenya National Championships last year, have suffered similar fate.

Others who have been suspended from athletics are Samuel Lomoi, Esther Chesamg Kakuri, Everlyne Syombua, Lydia Simiyu, Vincent Kiplangat Koskei, Stelleh Barsosio and Gloria Kite.

The 2021 Africa Judo 78 kilogram silver medallist Perister Bosire and musclemen Jotham Karani, Brandon Abednego Oluoch and Joseph Wasike Wesonga have also been suspended alongside footballer Teddy Otengo Osok.

Aprot, who has been struggling with form for many years, was flagged down on July 14 last year for the presence of prohibited Letrozole Metabolite Methanol.

Aprot, who was making a comeback since 2019 and has not competed since winning silver in 10,000m at the Kenya National Championships in April 26, last year, three weeks after finishing in similar position at the Kenya Prisons Service Championships.

Aprot, the 2017 World Cross Country Championships silver medallist, who finished fourth in 10,000m at the 2017 World Athletics Championships, is credited for having set the explosive pace that enabled Ethiopian Almaz Ayana win the 2016 Olympic gold in 10,000m in a World, Olympic and Area Record of  29:17.45.

Kenyan’s Vivian Cheruiyot settled for silver in a National Record time of 29:32.53 as another Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba chalked personal best 29:42.56.

Aprot, the 2016 and 20-17 National 10,000m champion, settled fourth in personal best 29:53.51.

Sawe, who holds the high jump National Record of 2.30 metres, was suspended on July 11 last year for the presence of prohibited Triamcinolone acetonide, a month after failing to defend his Africa high jump title in Mauritius where he finished sixth. He had won the title in 2016 and 2018.

Tabunda, who was regarded as the undisputed National 100m hurdles champion, having won the crown in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, tested positive to Anabolic Androgenic Agents on October 26, last year.

Tabunda had won three national titles in long jump, triple jump and 100m hurdles last year.

Saruni, who is based in the United States, was stopped from competing on August 14, last year for evading, refusing, or failing to submit to Sample Collection.

Saruni last competed during the Kenyan trials for World Championships and Commonwealth Games on June 25 last year.

Rono has found herself on the wrong side after evading, refusing, or failing to submit to Sample Collection on September 22, last year while Jeruto, who was once banned for four years in 2015 after testing positive to Norandrosterone, is once again facing the same predicament, this time a for the presence of prohibited substance hydroxy clomiphene.

Taki, who was hounded out of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July, last year, and Kibet, who was stopped from competition on November 21, last year, have both tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO).

Suspended players 

Athletics

Samuel Lomoi, Agatha Jeruto, Esther Chesang Kakuri, Everlyne Syombua, Lydia Simiyu, Mathew Sawe, Alice Aprot, Vincent Kiplangat, Michael Saruni, Stellah Barsosio, Kumari Taki, Gloria Kite, Georgina Rono,  Priscilla Tabunda

Body building

Joseph Wasike Wesonga, Brandon Abednego Oluoch, Jotham Karani   Elahetia

Judo

Perister Bosire

Football

Teddy Otengo Osok