Officials worried over doping cases
What you need to know:
- Wachira was speaking at a meeting convened to discuss athletics programmes and development in the area the region in Kericho where many doping cases have been reported.
- The meeting comes days after Kericho-based World 800m bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett was suspended for two doing offences - for failing to submit samples for test and having tested positive to blood boasting Erythropoietin (Epo).
Close to 114 Kenyan athletes have tested positive to performance enhancing substances among other relating doping offences in the past three years, with 54 of them being sanctioned.
The situation has prompted athletics stakeholders from South Rift to call for urgent measures to reverse the trend.
Athletics Kenya South Rift chairman John Wachira on Saturday said Kenya must find a lasting solution before things get out of hand.
Wachira was speaking at a meeting convened to discuss athletics programmes and development in the area the region in Kericho where many doping cases have been reported.
The meeting comes days after Kericho-based World 800m bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett was suspended for two doing offences - for failing to submit samples for test and having tested positive to blood boasting Erythropoietin (Epo).
Wachira urged athletes to help the government and athletics Kenya by revealing those behind the doping menace warning that those involved will be punished.
“We have more than 100 cases of doping in the country. It is sad that one of us is among them. This is an indication that we are in danger zone,” said Wachira adding that the setting up for testing laboratory in the country by the IAAF will help fight the scourge.
Wachira said most of the performance-enhancing drugs the athletes were using have serious health hazards and side effects. “There is an athlete who passed away recently in the area and it’s suspected to have succumbed to the sides effects from these banned substances,” said Wachira.
AK South Rift treasurer Stephen Leparmarai said there was need to have local agents of anti-doping to spearhead the fight against the vice saying they had no complete faith in other nationalities who might be raising the doping alarm to suit personal vendetta so as to ruin the country’s stellar performance in world athletics.
