Off the wire
• Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- May 9  • Maintaining healthy, stable development of Sino-US trade ties in global interest: FM spokesperson  • DPP administration bears full responsibility for Taiwan not being invited to WHA: FM spokesperson  • Peony exports of China's "city of peonies" hit 2.7 mln USD in 2017  • Legendary Chinese art connoisseur celebrated in Beijing  • Carlos Alvarado sworn in as president of Costa Rica  • Namibia continues with energy saving campaign to eliminate inefficient bulbs  • Ireland sales of new vehicles down, but used ones up in 1st 4 months  • Train collision leaves two dead in Germany  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- May 9  
You are here: 　

Former world champion urges Kenya to ban foreign agents whose athletes fail doping tests

Xinhua,May 10, 2018 Adjust font size:

NAIROBI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Former World 10,000m champion Moses Tanui and steeplechase legend Moses Kiptanui want Kenya to ban foreign agents who have more than five athletes with doping scandals in their stead.

With over 50 positive cases reported in Kenya since 2012, Tanui, who is also a former two-time Boston Marathon champion, believes the country's continual denial of lack of a systematic doping conspiracy will only aggravate the problem and wants Sports Ministry to take immediate action and suspend all licenses of foreign agents and managers operating in the country.

With majority of the affected athletes yet to make their names on the big stage, Kenya has been rattled yet again when one of the bigwigs three-time 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop tested positive for blood booster EPO last week and awaits the verdict of IAAF tribunal to know his fate.

"It was first confined to the marathon and road racing. But now it is creeping into the very core of our sports, middle distance events. We cannot afford to sit back and see these rogue agents ruin careers of our youth. They should be suspended immediately and stern action be taken against athletes who fail drug tests," said Tanui from Eldoret.

Latest IAAF doping statistics show that Kenya has 53 sportsmen and women out of the 363 globally whose results have returned suspicious readings and though they have not been banned, further analysis in future may find them culpable.

"Kenyans are still in denial. It is time we faced this problem head on. Let us accept that there is a problem and agree on how to deal with it," said Athletics Kenya executive committee member Barnabas Korir.

Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha, speaking from Eldoret asked upcoming athletes to resist using performance enhancing drugs and focus on training and running clean.

"This is disappointing for track and field. The big question is who is responsible for Asbel Kiprop's doping case," said Rudisha.

Currently all Kenya's samples for testing are taken to Europe of Qatar with Africa's only anti-doping lab in Johannesburg yet to get sanction and certification from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

"This one has hit us where it hurts most," said Moses Kiptanui, a three-time world 3,000m steeplechase champion. Enditem

 

Related News & Photos