Athletics Kenya and ADAK re-launch doping awareness campaign

Athletics Kenya (AK) in collaboration with Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) have re-launched the mandatory sensitization seminars for Kenyan athletes in the lead up to this year’s World Athletics Championships slated for Oregon, USA in the summer.

Any Kenyan track and field athletes wishing to participate in the World Championships must participate in five anti-doping seminars in addition to undergoing a number of out of competition tests.

The regulation locked out some athletes from competing in last year’s Olympics staged in the Covid-19 battered Japanese capital of Tokyo.

Athletes who previously shunned the seminars have this year taken serious consideration as evidenced by the fifty-six athletes who attended the opening seminar in Nairobi.

Led by sprint star Ferdinand Omanyala, the athletes converged for the organized campaign which has seen a steep reduction in the number of Kenyan athletes getting sanctioned for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) by the hawk-eyed Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

“As part of our preparations towards this year's World Athletics Championships, Athletics Kenya in conjunction with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has commenced a series of anti-doping education seminars,” AT Director of Competition Barnaba Korir said

AK is intensifying preparations for the World Championships with the Weekend Meetings where local bragging rights are won and competition sharpness attained.

Nyayo stadium is set to host the 3rd Weekend Meeting of 2020 with top stars lined up to compete. With the Indoor season drawing to a close in coming days, focus is slowly shifting to the upcoming World Championships in Oregon.

The weekend meetings provide for fertile grounds for attaining qualification for the Oregon World Championships and athletes have urged AK to set optimum conditions for meeting outcomes to be recognized internationally.

The Anti-Doping sensitization seminars are organized in the lead up to these weekend meetings for the convenience of athletes.  

“The session kicked off in Nairobi with over 50 athletes in attendance led by African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, Olympic 3000m bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen, two-time African champion Mathew Sawe, national 400m record holder Hellen Syombua, Olympians Leonard Bett, Mary Moraa and Abel Kipsang among others,” AK announced

Other educational sessions have been lined up in Eldoret (March 3rd) and Kapsabet (March 4th).