Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan runner who won the Boston Marathon in 2014, was slapped with a two-year anti-doping ban on Jan. 30. (Photo : Reuters)
Kenya has joined forces with Chinese and Norwegian anti-doping agencies to solve the problem of drug use in sports prevalent in the East African country. Kenya is known for its distance runners who have championed many international races.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario said that Chinese and Norwegian agencies would help the country's newly established Anti Doping Agency of Kenya soon as it becomes operational on Feb. 1.
Both Chinese and Norwegian anti-doping firms are set to help the East African nation with further advocating against the use of such drugs and educating athletes on their adverse effects.
According to Wario, "Chinese and Norwegian agencies have a lot of experience and resources that will be useful in the fight against doping as we establish ourselves."
The agencies are set to help out in legislation, policies and training programs of the newly created agency.
"The scourge of doping has embarrassed our country and we are now working with progressive forces with more knowledge on the subject to take it head on," shared the cabinet secretary.
The partnership could not have come in a most opportune time in light of the announcement that Kenyan runner Rita Jeptoo has just received a two-year doping ban on Jan. 30, which would see her out of the world championships and the 2016 Olympics.
The two-time Chicago Marathon winner and three-time Boston Marathon champion tested positive for using blood-booster EPO in a test conducted last September. The out-of-competition test was done weeks before she competed for the Chicago Marathon.
Kenya has long blamed international agents into influencing their athletes to turn to performance-enhancing drugs. However, some have called out the nation for not doing anything to prevent it from happening.
With the partnership, Kenya's Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture hopes to stomp out the problem at its roots, and Wario has urged other sporting federations to join hands with their department in ensuring that Kenyan athletes remain clean from any of these drugs.
