The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) is intensifying its efforts to combat doping, already having addressed 25 cases involving athletes from the East African nation, either through sanctions or by bringing charges for anti-doping rule violations, just this year.
At a media workshop convened by ADAK in the coastal city of Mombasa on Friday, ADAK’s Chief Executive, Sarah Shibutse, voiced her belief that their augmented anti-doping program will make a significant difference in curbing the escalating incidents.
“We understand the role the media play in the fight against doping in sports. We know that we want our athletes to run clean and it’s the clean athletes we are protecting. The media helps us in churning the stories of what anti-doping is all about,” Shibutse told reporters.
She further emphasized that educating the media on current trends in doping underscores the crucial role they play in combating this issue through informed reporting.
Despite a substantial investment of US$ 5 million annually by the Kenyan government, the country continues to face challenges in addressing doping.
ADAK’s released figures reveal 192 doping cases, involving 125 male and 67 female athletes, have been pursued by the local authority since 2017.
Of these cases, 85 male and 62 female cases have been concluded, leaving 15 male and 5 female cases still active. Additional penalties have been imposed on eight athletes for whereabouts violations, with another five charged with presenting falsified documents or forgery to justify the presence of banned substances in their systems.
To date this year, ADAK has carried out 931 tests, bringing the total to 7,398 since 2017. Despite the increase in cases, Shibutse remains confident in ADAK’s capacity to fulfill its mandate, established in 2016, and even extends its anti-doping efforts to assist regional neighbors.
