Coach Tiren: Train clean and win easy

Kenyan athletes have been urged to always train hard, practice clean sport and follow in the footsteps of the trailblazing legends for the country to get off anti-doping crosshairs.

Veteran national athletics coach Boniface Tiren, who retired from the teaching profession last month, implored athletes to train hard and avoid being swayed by few individuals who want to make a quick buck.

Tiren also said some of the coaches were killing the sport by making the athletes run very fast and within a short period leading to burnout.

Athletics career short

“In the 80’s and 90’s, we had athletes who could compete for a longer period and this was when competition was real but these days, an athletics career is short. We have coaches who are pushing athletes to the limit and that is why maybe we have such (doping) cases coming out,” said Tiren.

He said some coaches had “commercialised their thinking” and the right way is to go to the younger generation and educate them on running clean and which doctors they should visit.

Tiren also added that there is still a big challenge with the unscrupulous coaches and agents who don’t care about Kenya’s image as an athletics powerhouse.

“We have agents who have also come in and are thinking of how they can make money through athletes and their interest is how athletes can compete in many races possible and this is what pushes athletes to do otherwise,” he said, adding that Athletics Kenya must be strict on coaches and managers.

Athletics Kenya has been conducting education seminars for the Under-20 athletes across the country which according to the federation, it is the right age that will help eradicate the menace which is now tainting Kenya’s name.

The federation is also in the process of registering foreign coaches and agents afresh and making sure they follow up on what they are doing in the country as one way of discouraging doping.

According to AK Youth Development Director Barnaba Korir, educating the youth while at the tender age will change the perception of the younger ones and they will be able to know that use of enhancing drugs is prohibited.

“In collaboration with Athletics Integrity Unit we are now trying to educate the young athletes because this is the right age and it is part of trying to eradicate the doping problem which has now cropped back in our country,” said Korir.