NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 – The Anti Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) on Wednesday took over 100 weightlifters preparing for the African Tokyo Olympic qualifiers through lessons on how to be clean competitors in international tournaments.
The lessons included testing procedures for drugs, anti doping rules, doping consequences, prohibited/banned substances, therapeutic exemptions and the athlete’s roles and responsibilities.
“We want the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers to be clean and fair. Kenyan athletes who qualify for the Olympics will undergo mandatory doping tests by ADAK. We hope all athletes will make informed decisions as far as doping is concerned,” said Martin Yauma, ADAK’s Principle Research and Development Officer.
Apart from Kenya, the Tokyo Olympics qualifier has attracted top players from Uganda, South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
“Madagascar and Mauritius have been forced to withdraw from the competition because they are currently on total lockdown due to the Covid -19 pandemic,” Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association (Kawa) President Pius Ochieng said.
Ochieng, who represented the country in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics in Los Angeles and Seoul, said Kenya will strive to bag at least two slots at the Nairobi event.
“I have faith that two of the nine athletes we have entered for the competition will qualify.”
Ochieng explained the competition is a Gold event meaning athletes will be awarded up to ten points in their category.
All the teams were subjected to a second Covid-19 tests on Monday in line with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports protocol.
