Profitable medals is “now not the precedence” as Kenyan athletics seems to be to wash up its picture on the subject of drug cheats.
The nation has seen a rising variety of athletes serving bans for doping – accounting for 40% of the overall variety of athletes who failed drug exams globally in 2022.
Certainly, the state of affairs is so dire {that a} potential ban from worldwide competitors was mentioned by World Athletics, the game’s governing physique, with Kenya’s sports activities minister pressured to plead for extra time at a council assembly in Rome final November.
Kenya evaded a ban however the East African athletics powerhouse finds itself on an uncomfortable journey as it tries to repair its once glittering global image.
‘We are able to now not simply concentrate on medals’
With the observe and subject season getting underway, nationwide governing physique Athletics Kenya is approaching August’s World Athletics Championships in Hungary with warning – and a really totally different method to the medal desk.
“The outcomes on the championships are now not the precedence,” Barnabas Korir, Athletics Kenya youth improvement director, advised BBC Sport Africa.
“The Federation is focusing primarily on defending the clear athletes as a result of it is a undeniable fact that we have now athletes who’re successful pretty.
“We’d relatively take runners who’re thought of weak, the outcomes is not going to matter so long as they’re operating clear.
“We are able to now not simply concentrate on successful medals.”
Sports activities minister Ababu Namwamba is predicted to arrange a steering committee that may guarantee Athletics Kenya and the nationwide anti-doping company utilise allotted sources correctly.
The federal government has dedicated $25m to wash up the game over the following 5 years, however Korir is aware of failing to sort out the issue may show expensive in different methods.
“We now have to cut back the numbers considerably in order to regain our constructive world picture,” he added.
Testing occasions forward
Kenya is amongst seven international locations deemed a Class A federation – the very best doping threat – by the impartial Athletics Integrity Unit, which means athletes should endure a minimum of three exams within the 10 months main as much as a serious occasion with a view to be eligible to compete.
“We now have been in Class A for 5 years now and our goal is to get out within the subsequent 5,” Korir revealed.
“World Athletics has given us a goal of a minimum of 3,000 exams by way of the anti-doping company of Kenya this yr – that is a part of the requirement if we’re to proceed competing in opposition to the remainder of the world.”
Over 1,500 athletes took half within the second Athletics Kenya observe and subject assembly on 25/26 February, a contest sanctioned by World Athletics as a World Championships qualifying occasion.
“Ordinarily, the principle goal at native occasions is to identify expertise however we’re utilizing most of our occasions to register athletes into the Athletics Integrity Unit testing pool,” Korir continued.
“It is essential for us to increase our testing pool because it will increase our possibilities of catching cheaters.”
In January, World Athletics boss Sebastien Coe visited Kenya to debate the state of affairs, stating he was confident there had been no cover-up or suggestion of state-sponsored doping in Kenya.
Korir has vowed that nobody will likely be allowed any leniency within the battle in opposition to doping.
“Even the highest athletes who assume they’ll get away by dishonest the system will likely be smoked out earlier than the tip of the yr.”
