List of strict solutions suggested by Athletes crying for Kenya’s image

 

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The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) Intelligence and Investigations department earlier on in September described doping cases in Kenya as serious and ranked the country among the top three nations with high cases of doping in the world.

Concerned Athletes have urged Athletics Kenya (AK) and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya(ADAK) to step up their fight against doping in order to save the image of the nation.

On his part former 5000m World Champion Benjamin Limo called for a legislation of a law that convicts doping victims as criminals.

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Benjamin Limo

“We need an introduction of a strict law in parliament which will see any person caught doping be prosecuted as criminal and in my view that will end doping for good,” said Limo.

Speaking during the Anti-Doping Day held Friday at Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, elite athletes led by former World Marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang said despite a lot of efforts being made, a lot has yet to be done to completely eradicate the menace.

“I think in terms of policies we have enough but the issue at hand now is to ensure that we look at the root cause and that is how we can be able to end this problem,” said Kipsang.

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wilson kipsang

Other athletes who stood to condemn doping include the four time New York City Marathon Champion Mary Keitany, two time World Champion in marathon Edna Kiplagat as well as two time Olympic champion David Rudisha.

Elgeyo Marakwet County governor Alex Tolgos on his part promised to tackle the menace in the county firing a stern warning to all that sympthatize with the culprits especially the medical practitioners that provide drugs.

” I want to state here that I will be the one to snatch away the license of any medical practitioner who is found aiding doping in my county,” vowed Tolgos.

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Wada’s Director of Intelligence and Investigation Gunter Younger disclosed that doping practices of Kenyan athletes are unsophisticated, opportunistic, and uncoordinated.

“There is no evidence of an institutionalised system or criminal network involved,” said Younger at a press conference in Nairobi on Thursday September this year.

Younger explained that in its Kenya Project Taskforce report that also incorporated Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) that most Kenyan elite athletes abuse the more complex and sophisticated Erythropoietin (Epo).

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“The lower class of athletes use the nandrolone, which is cheap and easy to get, but mostly get caught on their first test,” said Younger, adding most of these banned performance enhancing drugs are easily obtained from pharmacies.

Younger was however happy that there is no criminal network perpetrating doping in the country, but said they will continue to educate athletes and set up programmes for doping.

Do you think Kenya will beat this doping menace?

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