Age cheating exposed
As has been suspected for decades, it appears that Kenya is about to be exposed for widespread age-cheating.
Athletics Kenya (AK) has been investigating what appears to be many junior athletes competing as adults nationally and internationally for the country.
According to the publication, XTR Africa, AK has already sent the names of some athletes, including four who were removed from Team Kenya for the World Under-20 Championships in Peru last year, for further checks.
The investigation, led by World Athletics’ Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), will expose the full extent of the cheating before punishments are announced.
AK’s Director of Youth and Development, Barnaba Korir, said they had found about 30 possible cases.
“It involves parents, coaches, teachers, and athletes, who are already talking to us. They have given us credible leads, and the revelations are disturbing,”
Doping
For a period of time, the Kenyan government had agreed to commit $5 million USD to stamp out doping. While that funding was available hundreds of Kenyan athletes were caught doping, missing three tests within 12 months or tampering.
Citing the fact that the investment exposed doping as a problem unlike anywhere else in the world, the government stopped the funding and since then the positive tests have waned. The key point here is that Kenyan athletes were exposed as drug cheats. Apparently, the funding will return. And so will the positive doping tests.
Fake constitution
Athletics Kenya (AK) — AK have raised the alarm over unscrupulous individuals distributing a document, purportedly the federation’s revised constitution.
In a statement, the national athletics governing body has denied knowledge of or involvement in the distribution of the document.
“Athletics Kenya (AK) is alarmed by reports of a group of individuals who have purportedly formulated a new/revised constitution of the federation. We would like to categorically state that AK is in no way associated with the document as well as the flawed process in coming up with it,” the federation said.
Furthermore, AK accused authors of the document of not having the interests of the game at heart, describing the ‘fake constitution’ as a distraction from a busy calendar year for Kenyan athletes.
“The purported constitution is a fictitious work of a few selfish individuals who have forged the letterhead of the federation as well as its logo, to achieve their self-interests. The haphazard way it is written cannot be the result of a public participation in which stakeholders get the chance to input their views as is expected of any constitution-making process,” the federation added.
The federation said it would follow laid-down legal procedures and communicate transparently if and when it embarks on amending the current constitution.
Domestic violence
Mental health struggles have plagued the Kenyan athletics community. The issues manifest as domestic violence, alcohol abuse and suicide.
Depending on the source of the information, 80 to 300 Kenyan athletes have been suspended over recent years for doping, tampering, or missing tests three times in 12 months.
On October 6, 26-year-old Kipyegon Bett, who was the 800-metre world bronze medallist in 2017, died in hospital in his hometown of Kericho in Western Kenya from kidney and liver failure brought on by alcohol. Clement Kemboi was found dead in Iten, the high-altitude training camp.
Sammy Wanjiru’s mysterious death continues to be the topic of discussion. He too suffered from alcohol abuse. The 24-year-old died from falling out of a window. Wanjiru won the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon in an Olympic record time of 2:06:32. He also won in London and Chicago.
Benjamin Kiplagat died. Two Kenyans killed the 3000m steeplechaser. H was a Ugandan but was training in Kenya. Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder was mysteriously killed in a single-vehicle accident. There is speculation that he was being chased.
