MONTREAL, Canada, May 12 – Kenya has been declared in breach of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) rules, meaning some of the world’s top athletes could miss the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
WADA made the announcement Thursday evening after the body’s Compliance Review Committee unanimously recommended that Kenya be declared non-compliant with immediate effect, citing that the Kenyan Anti Doping legislation passed by Parliament is not in line with WADA code.
The development has raised fears amongst Kenya’s top athletes who are concerned on their participation at the Olympics that gets underway in August as they await the decision to be made by the International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF).
Olympic and three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop wrote on his official Face book page, “Somebody tell whoever is concerned regarding doping issues that Kenya has talents hardworking and athletes by nature.
“We don’t need some stupid bans in the name of a few dopers. We are the real human nature with talents in conjunction with hard work. Respect this transparent truth and help us in a way to stop the intruders who are fighting not only to win races against us but to finish the real hard work talent and nature in us.
“In this case you will save the sport. Do not demoralize, do not kill a dream. For the sake of true and real ones spare God given talents for us,” Kiprop, who is preparing to compete at the Oregon IAAF Diamond League in USA wrote.
World javelin champion Julius Yego said, “it’s worrying and painful to remember the sacrifice, perseverance and dedication put towards achieving the success and ultimate goal and suddenly get in against you in any sport!!…it’s hurt breaking and saddening!!!
“I love and respect the rule/code of sport! If Kenya will be declared non -compliant then it’s not that Kenyan athletes have been winning through performance enhancing drugs!! It’s just the few elements who have been there and it’s also everywhere in the world not only Kenya!! These are the elements we need to eradicate,” Yego declared.
Kenya has already missed two WADA deadlines to show they are tackling doping in sport, with IAAF president Sebastian Coe threatening to suspend their athletes from the August 5-21 Olympics if the country is found to be ‘non-compliant’ which is currently the case for Russia.
President Uhuru Kenyatta signed a new anti-doping law on April 22, which it had been hoped would allow the African athletics powerhouse to be given the green light by WADA, but this apparently did not satisfy WADA, with the compliance committee recommending that Kenya should be declared in breach of its code.