AIU to athletes: Expect more frequent testing

Kenyan athletes should expect increased anti-doping testing following the rise in the number of athletes sanctioned for flouting anti-doping rules.

Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) chief executive officer Brett Clothier, who is in Kenya on a fact finding mission, Wednesday said the country was on the brink of being banned from global competition but the intervention from the national government and Athletics Kenya saved the situation.

The AIU is, meanwhile, expected to hire an official who will be based in Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County and will be working under the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (Adak).

He said that once proper mechanisms are put up, all athletes in a given camp anywhere in Kenya must be tested as one way of making sure only clean athletes compete.

Clothier also lauded the government’s multi-agency approach that involves county governments, police, Athletics Kenya, Adak, among other stakeholders.

“Coming into the grassroots, we are able to know what we are supposed to do at the task force and we have a platform to start with. As athletics stakeholders we all want to see clean sport and there is no other way this can be done,” he said while visiting Nandi County Wednesday.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said as local leaders, especially from the three athletics-rich counties of Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet, they need to know the role to play to stop the anti-doping rules violation that is tainting Kenya’s image.

“I’m happy the head of the AIU has come to the grassroots and listened to athletes and their support personnel. We want clean sport and we are going to support the agency by making sure we play our role as a county government that interacts with athletes, everyday,” said Sang.

He also asked the federation to also check on the camps in various parts of the country saying that there is need to regulate and check on them regularly.

“There are many camps in the athletics concentrated areas and sometimes you never know what happens when inside there and the federation should be checking and regulate on them,” added Sang.

AK President Jack Tuwei said that it shall be expensive to used banned substances because regulations will change and the system is getting tighter.

“If we continue in this manner, the world will one day refuse to compete with Kenyans and we don’t want to go that direction.

London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto challenged athletes to always train hard and follow the right channels adding that jealousy has contributed to the doping menace because they want to get wealth the easy way.

In Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, more than 100 athletes were asked by Bishop Kipsoi from AIC Fellowship, Iten, to practice clean sport.

“Let us follow the right procedures and conduct yourselves in a manner worthy to be an athlete because you represent millions who are looking up to you,” Bishop Kipsoi said.

Iten has been housing more than 5,000 athletes and many have been trooping to the region due to conducive environment for training.

Tuwei asked the county government to intervene and make sure the Kamariny Stadium which was under construction be completed for athletes to find a place to train.

Among the proposals for the reduction of doping numbers is to make sure athletes travelling for various races abroad are tested before being cleared by the federation.

AIU was initiated in 2017 by World Athletics and they have been focusing on top athletes where they have a registered testing pool and athletes are tested ahead of various events across the globe.

There are 480 track and field athletes from 85 different countries who are in the testing pool.