Top Kenyan athletes welcome vetting by doctors network

Top Kenyan track and field stars have hailed the initiative that will see a pool of experienced local doctors vet them of doping before being allowed to feature in international meets.

Athletics Kenya (AK) on Tuesday announced a programme in conjunction with world governing body - the IAAF - and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) that will see only athletes given the green light to compete by the Kenya Doctors Network (KDN) entered in competition.

This is aimed at getting the country off the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) watch list following the spike of doping cases in the global distance running powerhouse.

"It is in this regard that we have worked on an action plan with IAAF to deal with the utmost importance and priority levels in order to confine the actual doping epidemic in the country.

"This plan is such that a first sample of trusted and skilled Kenyan doctors has been identified to form the KDN. Their responsibility is to take care of Kenyan top-level runners and limit bad medical practices and doping promotion behaviours by some Kenyan health professionals," AK President Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei said.

Consequently, the federation has invited 108 elite athletes to a seminar in the distance running heartland of Eldoret in northern Kenya where the new programme will be rolled out.

Convicted drug cheat and the poster girl of Kenyan doping, Rita Jeptoo, whose ban was extended to four years following an appeal by world body IAAF against the initial two-year suspension by AK late last year, is among those invited for the seminar.

Others include Olympic champions, David Rudisha (men 800m), Eliud Kipchoge (men marathon), Conseslus Kipruto (men 3000m steeplechase), Vivian Cheruiyot (women 5000m), Faith Chepng'etich Kipyegon (women 1500m) and Jemimah Sumgong (women marathon).

World champions, Asbel Kiprop (men 1500m), Julius Yego (men Javelin) and Nicholas Bett (men 400m Hurdles) are among a slew of distance running greats expected to converge for the seminar.

Two-time world marathon champion and 2012 Olympics silver winner, Abel Kirui welcomed the programme saying it would go a long way assuring the world Kenyan runners compete clean.

The 2015 Chicago Marathon champion who was beaten by Kirui to the crown last year added the initiative would help weed out those potential drug cheats before they leave the country.

"The world will know that we do not need to dope to win. They will know that we are purely talented and be assured that our athletes compete clean and fair," added Chumba who is aiming to reclaim his Tokyo Marathon he last won in 2014 next month.

"Though I do not know much about the Network, I hope we shall learn a lot and know what is expected of us and how to access the doctors," he added.

Kiprop who is going for a fourth world title in London this summer also supported the programme.

"It's a good idea to root them off before spoiling for majority who are running clean," he added

AK has turned to the Network following concern over the rise of doping cases that saw the country placed on the WADA watch list last year, a status that was extended to 2017 despite the enactment of a law that outlaws doping and establishment of ADAK.

The doping crisis in the country saw the nation's track and field team being threatened with an international ban hence missing the Rio Olympics last summer where Kenya recorded their best ever performance by winning six gold, six silver and a bronze, all in athletics. Endit