AK intensify 'running-clean' gospel ahead of busy 2022 calendar

Athletics Kenya (AK) will not invite any athlete who has not met the criteria for qualification to Team Kenya for upcoming trials for various championships. 

While making the pronouncement, AK president Jack Tuwei said all the athletes who are looking to make the teams must have gone through anti-doping education, testing and attained the qualifying times for each championship. 

This, after World Athletics (WA) has maintained that Kenya will remain in category A of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) watch list. 

In the last one year, 13 Kenyan athletes have been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), ten for substance abuse and three for Whereabouts violation. 

"It has been decided that Kenya remains in category A for 2022. This means that we are still on WADA's doping watch-list. Therefore, we have to be vigilant as to who we allow to represent the country in our upcoming events," said Tuwei. 

The criteria for qualification for the World Athletics Championships are doping education, testing and attaining qualification times set for each championship. 

He continued, "It is mandatory for every athlete selected to represent the country to attend ADAK, AK and WADA education seminars. So far, we have held seminars in February during the Agnes Tirop Memorial and also during the two AK track and field meets held in Nairobi and the latest event in Mumias." 

The mandatory three out-of competition non-notice testing g rule is also in effect for the World Championships as well as the qualifying times. AK will only invite, for trials, athletes that have attained said qualifications. 

According to the federation, all athletes and their support personnel have been informed of the same in writing. 

Additionally, while the criteria for the Africa Games and that of the Commonwealth Games are slightly different, Tuwei maintains that as AK, they will strictly adhere to the anti-doping regulations set by WA for the World Championships in the other two events.

Meanwhile, the president took the time in his address to congratulate athletes for a stellar show on the weekend.

"We want to congratulate the athletes who were in action on the weekend in various marathons and half marathons around the world. We had representatives in all these races and they did extremely well.  

We are coming off a two-year period where our members did not get to compete much due to Covid-19 protocols and it is good to see them back in action across the globe," Tuwei offered