World Athletics boss Coe meets Sports CS Ababu
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba (right) presents a gift to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe who paid him a courtesy call on January 4, 2023 at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- Coe, 66, will also have a session with the media starting at 11m at the same hotel.
- Coe’s visit comes five weeks after chairing a World Athletics Council meeting in Italy , which gave the country a great reprieve on matters of doping.
Kenya is ready to abide by World Athletics guidelines in view of preserving the country’s strong tradition of competing and winning clean, Sports CS Ababu Namwamba has said.
Nawamba Wednesday told the visiting World Athletics President Sebastian Coe that the government will champion for cultural change in sport by inculcating the value of integrity amongst the athletes.
Namwamba said that they will partner with the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) and Athletics Kenya to ensure that issues pertaining to athletics sports management and Kenya's battle against doping is achieved.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba (right) and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe who paid him a courtesy call on January 4, 2023 at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi.
"I am a strong believer in Abraham Lincoln's philosophy that it is more honorable to lose than to cheat. Our athletes must also live by this," Namwamba told Coe, who paid him a courtesy call at Maktaba Kuu office, Nairobi Wednesday afternoon.
Coe, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, is on a one week private visit and holiday in the country.
The World Athletics boss will Thursday hold discussions with Athletics Kenya officials, coaches and athletes at the Weston Hotel, Nairobi.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (second left) explains a point to Sports CS Aababu Namwamba (left) during their meeting on January 4, 2023 at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi.
Coe, 66, will also have a session with the media starting at 11m at the same hotel.
Coe’s visit comes five weeks after chairing a World Athletics Council meeting in Italy , which gave the country a great reprieve on matters of doping.
Even though Kenya stayed in Category “A” of countries where doping is prevalent, the country escaped a ban despite the skyrocketing cases of doping cases in the country.
Coe lauded Kenya’s efforts to fight the doping scourge adding that the move by the Kenyan government to increase the funding in the fight against doping to Sh619 million annually for a period of five years, was evident enough.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe signs the visitors book on January 4, 2023 at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi where he held a meeting with Sports CS Ababu Namwamba.
Coe said that the funding will help increase the number of tests, investigations besides bolstering the already comprehensive education programs by Athletics Kenya and Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).
In the last four years, 90 Kenyan athletes have been banned or suspended for varying doping offences with 30 cases coming last year.
