NAIROBI, Kenya, December 19 – Athletics Kenya (AK) will deregister and take further sanctions against managers and coaches of 32 athletes who have tested positive for banned substances in the past five years if found guilty of abetting doping the federation announced Friday.
Federation’s president Isaiah Kiplagat declared they would launch investigations on agents and trainers involved in January before taking action as the doping scourge continues to rock the country’s sport.
At the same world governing body IAAF has called on AK to carry out gender tests on three female and two male athletes suspected to possess elevated hormonal levels of opposite gender.
According to Kiplagat, the exercise is too dear for them with lack of such facilities with country as he pegged the cost of each test at Sh600,000 (USD6,629).
“This is a very serious issue because sometimes it’s difficult to know their real identity and we have seen such cases in many countries.
“As much as the exercise is very expensive we must carry out the tests to avoid controversy and compete them in their respective categories,” Kiplagat underscored on the gender issue.
IAAF were forced to change their rules on gender testing following the explosive controversy sparked by South Africa 800m star, Caster Semenya, at the 2009 Berlin World Championships when a leaked report cast aspersions on her true gender.
Semenya who won Olympics silver at 2012 London Olympics was eventually cleared to compete as a female despite the international uproar that dominated the Berlin Worlds following months of tests and hormonal treatment.
“We have more than 16 cases of athletes outside the country who have tested positive but we cannot trace them. We have taken appropriate action in accordance by the rules as provided by the IAAF in terms of doping by punishing 32 athletes,” Kiplagat said on doping as he sought to defend his federation that has been accused of complicity in tackling the vice.
The AK boss also revealed the much awaited B-Sample results for female marathon star Rita Jeptoo would be known later Friday confirming the two-time Boston and Chicago marathon winner was present during testing.
Jeptoo’s positive A-Sample test for banned blood booster EPO is simply the highest profile doping case in the country that has a proud athletics heritage and forced AK to come out strongly to tackle the vice.
Kiplagat added the National Anti Doping Organization (Nado) launched Thursday will see cases of doping reduce since they will introduce anti-doping education in the country’s school curriculum.
“Each federation agreed to abide the outcome of Nado and the Government has come in at the right time when athletics is facing cases of doping. From next year we will have coaches and agents seminar as required by IAAF,” the AK boss stated.
The AK President declared they have agreed with the dissenting 14 branch chairmen to ensure their wrangle do not affect the calendar of events.
“We will not let the wrangles affect our program so we have agreed we should limit press releases that may damage the image of AK and let the legal issues take its own course because we have five major events next year that we want to concentrate on.”
Meanwhile, the 2017 IAAF Nairobi World Youth Championships Local Organising Committee will be unveiled in January.