AK: Cartels to blame for rise in doping
A screen grab of Athletics Kenya Nairobi Branch chairman Barnaba Korir speaking on NTV's live Sports show, Sport On on October 24, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Head of Athletics Integrity Unit, Brett Clothier said the country needs to do more to fight the doping scourge.
- “Doping is not centralized in Kenya as compared to Russia where authorities were covering up, but Kenya is helping us to uncover those who are doing it.
Athletics Kenya (AK) has blamed the rising cases of doping in the country on cartels.
Up to 25 Kenyan athletes have been flagged down for various doping offences this year and AK has revealed that the cartels have pitched camp in various training camps and are supplying the drugs to 'innocent' athletes.
Speaking on Monday night's NTV live sports show, Sport On, AK Nairobi Branch chairman Barnaba Korir said the huge numbers has shown that system is working and challenged athletes to avoid short cuts, but train hard and win clean.
He said they had furnished the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) with information so that they can investigate the matter and prosecute the offenders.
Up to 25 athletes so far have been banned this year, while others are on suspension awaiting their fate from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)
“We have cartels who have pitched camp here and they are the ones ruining the sport because they take advantage of athletes who know little about the drugs and the good thing is that they are being caught because the testing system is accurate and they will all be caught,” said Korir.
He urged the government to support in fighting the vice for the country to survive in the sport this year.
ADAK’s Head of Legal Services Bildad Rogoncho speaks during the NTV live Sports show, Sport On on October 24, 2022.
Most of the Kenyan athletes who have been banned were found to have used Norandrosterone and Triamcinolone according to ADAK’s Head of Legal Services Bildad Rogoncho.
He revealed that athletes falsify medical reports when asked to present them.
“We shall charge athletes for tampering with investigations when they present or bring fake documents from hospitals because we have mechanisms and we can investigate and know the truth and my advice to them is to just do the right thing,” said the legal officer.
The 2015 World Javelin champion Julius Yego speaks during the NTV Live Sports show, Sport On on October 24, 2022.
The 2015 World Javelin champion Julius Yego admitted that AK, AIU and ADAK has done enough in educating them about doping, but blamed a few rogue athletes for tarnishing their good name.
“I blame the rise of doping cases on ignorance and arrogance of some few athletes who want to beat the system but they are being caught,” said Yego.
Head of Athletics Integrity Unit, Brett Clothier speaks during the NTV Live Sports show, Sport On on October 24, 2022.
Head of Athletics Integrity Unit, Brett Clothier said the country needs to do more to fight the doping scourge.
“Doping is not centralized in Kenya as compared to Russia where authorities were covering up, but Kenya is helping us to uncover those who are doing it.
We are seeing a group of people trying to beat the system but they are being caught. Kenya is doing well but there is need for more support in terms of funding to fight the menace,” said Brett.
