AK tightens anti-doping rules for 2025 Tokyo event
Athletics Kenya President Lt. Gen (retired) Jackson Tuwei speaks to the media during a past event at Riadha House.
What you need to know:
- AK will also invite athletes to attend anti-doping education seminars and webinars, which they are expected to prioritise.
- Adak's Principal Research and Development officer, Martin Yahuma, confirmed that the agency has established contact with foreign-based athletes for online education sessions and testing.
Kenyan athletes who fail to undergo at least one no-notice out-of-competition doping test by May 24 will be ineligible to compete in the 2025 World Athletics Championships, Athletics Kenya (AK) has warned.
At the same time, Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) is working diligently to ensure that Kenyan athletes based abroad, particularly in the United States and Japan, meet the stringent anti-doping criteria.
Athletes must complete a minimum of three no-notice out-of-competition tests within a 10-month window from October 29, 2024, to August 29, 2025, to qualify for the global showpiece, scheduled for September 13–21 in Tokyo, Japan.
AK President Jack Tuwei emphasised that, in addition to meeting anti-doping requirements, athletes must attain qualification times and participate in national trials to earn a spot on Team Kenya for the championships.
A total of 444 athletes have been identified as potential contenders for the event, including at least 20 based in the US.
Kenya, being in Category ‘A’ for doping risk, adheres to Article 15.5.1-3 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Regulations, which mandates at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests before the championships.
To ensure compliance, athletes must also participate in anti-doping education programs organised by AK, Adak, or the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
“Athletes must provide accurate whereabouts information and are required to keep their whereabouts information up to date at all times,” said Tuwei, who also serves as World Athletics deputy president, during a press conference at Riadha House in Nairobi on Wednesday.
He highlighted that those with ADAMS accounts must submit their whereabouts through the system and check for updates regularly.
ADAMS is a secure, cost-free web-based system centralizing doping control-related data, including athlete whereabouts.
Athletes without ADAMS accounts have been advised to request one or use the provided Google Forms link to submit their location details and update any changes immediately.
“Athletes may be tested at any time, both in competition and out of competition. Failure to comply with testing procedures or missing a test will impact their eligibility for selection,” Tuwei warned.
“They must carefully check medications and supplements before use to avoid unintentional violations.”
AK will also invite athletes to attend anti-doping education seminars and webinars, which they are expected to prioritise.
Adak's Principal Research and Development officer, Martin Yahuma, confirmed that the agency has established contact with foreign-based athletes for online education sessions and testing.
“We urge them to fill in accurate information for the whereabouts to make work easier for our officers,” said Yahuma.