A World Athletics coach has cautioned upcoming athletes against age cheating and doping, vices that threaten to taint the credibility of Kenya’s athletes on the global stage.
In an interview with KNA, following a training session with upcoming athletes at Kericho Teachers Training College grounds, coach Josphat Kiprono Rotich said athletes risk getting banned from all local and international competitions when they engage in the two reprehensible acts that undermine the integrity and credibility of their competitions.
“When an athlete runs into a competition which is not meant for his age, though it will be to his advantage in the short run, he undermines his credibility. It is also a disadvantage to the others competing honestly. Age cheating undermines fairness because an athlete wants to make a win that he has not worked for. It is good for an athlete to perform in a race which is specific for his age,” said Rotich.
Rotich emphasized the need for upcoming athletes to embrace integrity as they build their running careers.
“I am appealing to upcoming athletes to use their correct birth certificates as issued at birth. They should not make another birth certificate because this will not only be disadvantageous to those young athletes, but it will be wrong on their part when they transit to old age. It is only when you train hard, use water, fruits and a balanced diet that you will perform well,” noted Rotich.
He said sensitization training for athletes and their coaches should be made mandatory to instil ethical and moral values in the sport to create an environment where honesty and integrity are upheld and passed on to future generations of upcoming athletes in the country.
Rotich advised athletes to respect the rules and maintain the dignity of the sport by refraining from the use of prohibited substances now that the country is still battling with the doping menace.
“Anything that goes into your body is your responsibility. As an athlete, you are aware of the banned substances, and when you are caught, it is on you, as you will not only lose your medal but also face penalties for this. This, too, will cause great damage to the country’s image. The use of drugs to enhance performance is unethical and prohibited, and athletes should desist from shortcuts but engage in clean sport, “said Rotich.
He told athletes to be keen on the medicines prescribed when they fall sick over and above ensuring the visit recognized medical facilities lest they innocently fall victim of taking banned substances prescribed from unknown medical facilities, eventually testing positive of the same.
“Athletes ought to be keen enough on the type of medication they get when they go to the hospital. If they have doubts as to whether it is a prohibited substance, then they should take a photo and forward it to the network of doctors at Athletics Kenya using the WhatsApp social media platform. Immediately they receive this information, they will get feedback if the drugs fall under prohibited substances, and they will be guided on the alternative to use,” added coach Rotich.
Currently, Kenya is in Category A of the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA compliance watch list since 2016, and so far, nearly 130 Kenyan athletes have been sanctioned for drug offences since 2017.
