Doping watch list haunting us, says Athletics Kenya

Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei speaks during the launch of Eldoret City Marathon held at Eldoret Club on February 26, 2018. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |

What you need to know:

  • Kenya among countries being scrutinised by IAAF.
  • Tuwei vows to continue with war against use of banned drugs to get off IAAF’s infamous radar.

Athletics Kenya will maintain its spirited efforts to shake itself off the world athletics governing body’s watch list for doping violations.

Kenya is among the countries in the cross hairs of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), a tag that has seen the country’s athletes among the most tested globally.

Speaking Wednesday at the launch of Kenya’s camp for the Africa Cross Country Championships at the St Mark’s Kigari Primary Teachers’ College in Embu, Athletics Kenya (AK) President Jack Tuwei said they were taking their educational drives to the counties, targeting young athletes.

“Kenya is on the watch list of the IAAF because of the indiscipline of a few individuals who have been doping to improve their performance,” he said. “We have been co-operating with Adak (Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya) but we are still stuck in that corner of the (IAAF) watch list.

“If we are not careful, apart from that threat, very soon we might hear of some athletes saying they don’t want to compete against Kenyan athletes,” he added.

A team of 30 is training in Embu and will be out to defend Kenya’s overall title at the fifth Africa Cross Country Championships in Chlef, Algeria, on March 17.

AK’s chief executive officer, Susan Kamau, revealed that Adak officials had visited the Kigari camp on Monday for random, out of competition tests.