NAIROBI, Kenya, February 11 –After being accused of complicity in handling the spike in drug cheating the country, Athletics Kenya (AK) will conduct an anti-doping seminar on Friday, a day before the IAAF Permit/Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens.
IAAF Events and Competitions Director, Paul Hardy is expected to attend the one-day workshop after attending the annual Athletes’ Representatives meeting earlier in the day.
Hardy will also inspect Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium that is the designated host facility for the IAAF 2017 World Youth Championships.
AK president Isaiah Kiplagat said Wednesday the seminar would not have come at a better time where all the athletes and managers are available to share a platform.
“The doping matter has been very hot and this year we are going to rollout a program on how we will work out with the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya to address this burning matter,” Kiplagat announced.
At the same, the AK boss maintained the Nationals will press on as planned despite a boycott threat led by a section of retired and active athletes led by former Olympic champions, Wilfred Bungei and John Ngugi calling on affiliated regions to skip the event in protest against his extended rule.
“All regions have entered their athletes and its indication the event is going to be very successful, I don’t want anybody to have any doubt, the event will go on.
“We are prepared all the technical issues have been addressed and we are all set for Saturday,” Kiplagat added on the selection event for the IAAF World Cross in Guiyang, China next month.
Race technical director Ibrahim Hussein said, “As a former athlete I can say Cross Country is very important and it made us be who we are today. So those who are calling for boycott should know we have a full team.”
The retired and current athletes expressed dissatisfaction on how the national athletics governing body had handled Rita Jeptoo’s doping case after the three-time Boston and twice Chicago marathon champion was slapped with a two match ban for testing positive last September for using banned blood booting EPO.
