Kenya defends anti-doping record
Kenyan athletics bosses have defended the country’s record on doping, despite 32 athletes having tested positive for banned substances in in-and out-of-competition tests in the last five years.
On a day when the results of the “B” sample for top woman marathon runner Rita Jeptoo were awaited, officials said they had done enough to tackle the problem of doping in the sport and warned that any athletics agents implicated in the scandal would be struck off the list of managers of Kenyan runners.
“We are not saying we have no doping issues, in fact we have a big problem. But we have taken appropriate action in accordance with the provision of the rules as provided for by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).
We cannot do better or worse than that,” Athletics Kenya (AK) president Isaiah Kiplagat told a news conference.
“In the last five years we have either punished through suspension or warnings 32 athletes. If you compared that with athletes who have been punished by other federations, such as Russia or China, we are nowhere near.
“But, nevertheless, we cannot say because those numbers are few, we have to be relaxed in the fight against the menace,” said Kiplagat.
He warned that any foreign agent whose athletes tested positive for drugs in big numbers would have their training licences terminated.
Kenya launched a new National Anti-Doping organisation (NADO) on Thursday and AK was one of the national sports federations which signed a commitment to support, abide and accept the results it carries against doping in the country.
