Kenya scrambles to stave off athletics ban for mounting doping cases

Nairobi, November 25 (BNA): The Kenyan government has urged global athletics not to ban the country from playing the sport, promising to intensify its fight against the use of banned substances after a series of athletes were suspended for doping.

The East African country is world famous for its middle and long distance runners, who have won numerous gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships and set record times. Kenya has placed third in the athletics medal tally at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reports Reuters.

Kenya has faced accusations of widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs for years, but the athletics powerhouse has recently been hit by a growing number of runners who have tested positive for the virus.

A ban would leave athletes unable to compete globally, jeopardize athletes’ plans for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and severely damage the country’s reputation in sports.

“We will not allow unethical individuals to spoil Kenya’s reputation through doping,” Kenya’s Sports Minister, Ababu Namwamba, said on Twitter on Friday. We must defeat doping and its perpetrators.”

The Daily Nation reported that the government had told the board that it had set aside an annual sum of $5 million over the next five years for anti-doping.

Namwamba said it also takes “resolute action” and has a “zero tolerance” commitment to doping.

This week the Kenyan government wrote to World Athletics to try to protect of a possible ban. A World Athletics spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the letter had been received.

Reportedly, the decision-making council of the Governing Body is scheduled to meet in Rome next week, where the Kenya issue is likely to be discussed.

Fifty-five Kenyan athletes are currently banned and 8 provisionally suspended, according to the Athletics Safety Unit (AIU), an independent body set up by World Athletics to combat doping in the sport.

Kenya is a Class A country under world athletics anti-doping rules, which means athletes must undergo at least three out-of-competition urine and blood tests before major events.

There are currently seven “Category A” countries including Belarus, Ethiopia and Ukraine.

The unit said in an email that it had received a statement from the Kenyan government but had not received a response.

Among the Kenyans caught using banned substances are 2021 Boston Marathon winner Diana Kibioki and compatriot Betty Wilson Limbus, who were both suspended last month for their use of triamcinolone acetonide.

In April, Kenya’s 2014 Commonwealth Games and African 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkerui were banned for four years, dating back to 2019, due to a discrepancy in the athletes’ biological passport.

Kenya in 2016 signed an anti-doping bill into law required to avoid a Rio Olympics ban.

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