Let’s all support Adak’s compliance drive
Chris Omedo (right), president of Kenya Body Builders Federation, signs the federation’s commitment to Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) rules as Eric Omariba (centre) the agency’s legal consultant, witnesses last week. On the left is Adak’s senior legal officer Bildad Rogoncho. The agency has been aggressively running programmes to educate athletes and officials on anti-doping rules and regulations. PHOTO | COURTESY |
What you need to know:
- All federations must now follow suit and initiate internal surveillance mechanisms that will aid in the eradication of drug cheats that have shamed Kenya’s enviable global reputation.
- With President Uhuru Kenyatta having signed into law the Kenya Anti-Doping Act of 2016 just before the Rio Olympics, it now remains to been seen how the country’s much-maligned prosecutorial muscle will rein in miscreants demeaning our hard-fought reputation.
On Sunday, Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) officials were busy carrying out testing procedures at the inaugural and successful Eldoret City Marathon.
And some three kilometres away from their downtown testing base, the officials also made a presentation to athletes ahead of a live viewing of the London Marathon organized by the Bank of Africa at the Klique Hotel.
These programmes came hot on the heels of a multi-agency Eldoret swoop led by Adak chief executive officer Japhter Rugut in which an individual suspected to be engaged in the handling of banned performance-enhancing substances in a chemist was arrested.
And last week, over 15 sports federations signed a commitment with Adak that will see them play by the state agency’s anti-doping rules and regulations.
This is in addition to the 12 that had signed up with Adak last April. Besides, Adak has been carrying out nationwide sensitisation workshops and engaging with athletes to bring them up to speed with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code of conduct.
Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) official Tim Ngugi addressing the press during the Boston Marathon viewing party held at Stevenice Hotel in Kapsabet Town on April 16, 2018. He urged sportsmen to cooperate with Adak officials with a view of fighting doping in the country. PHOTO | DENNIS LUBANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
In February, Adak also launched a partnership with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development with a view to introducing anti-doping education in schools.
Just yesterday, the agency held a workshop for Kenyan Premier League club Bandari FC in Mombasa as part of the programme being run between Adak and the Kenyan Premier League Limited.
The latest flurry of reassuring activity at Adak comes as Kenya remains on the watchdog list of the International Association of Athletics Federations, with the country battling to streamline anti-doping procedures to global acceptance.
All federations must now follow suit and initiate internal surveillance mechanisms that will aid in the eradication of drug cheats that have shamed Kenya’s enviable global reputation.
With President Uhuru Kenyatta having signed into law the Kenya Anti-Doping Act of 2016 just before the Rio Olympics, it now remains to been seen how the country’s much-maligned prosecutorial muscle will rein in miscreants demeaning our hard-fought reputation.
This is an assignment the new Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Mohamed Haji should pounce onto with gusto, besides recalling and resuscitating the files on the Rio Olympics scandal that seem to have been swept under the carpet in legendary fashion, typical of Kenyan probe reports.
It will be assuring to see handcuffed athletes and officials thrown in the slammer as this would deter other drug cheats and imps.
Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) officials attend a seminar organised by Anti-Doping Norway. PHOTO | COURTESY |
“It (doping) is a global menace which is complicated and keeps mutating even as we develop responsive techniques through which to eliminate it,” Rugut said when the federations made their commitment to fight against the banned drugs last week.
“It is for this reason that we seek for a concerted effort towards eradication of the use of (prohibited) performance-enhancing drugs.”
Perhaps Kenya should take the cue from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organisers who adopted a “no needle” policy that helped keep the games clean.
The policy prohibits the use of injection of medicines, or other substances, without a clear medical need or approval by medical authorities.
Several international and national sports organisations globally adopted this policy ages ago, including the International Cycling Union and the International Rowing Federation.
“Injection of products like vitamins or nutritional supplements allow, in particular, young athletes to become accustomed to such treatments which can be the start of a gradual slide into doping as they believe injections are a normal part of preparation or recovery,” the rowing federation said while announcing the collaboration with their cycling counterparts in adopting the “no needles policy” in 2011.
We need such policy also implemented at all sports training camps with the state agencies involved in implementation of the Anti-Doping Act ensuring compliance.
This will be made easier by the Ministry of Sport and Heritage registering afresh all training camps and talent academies strewn all over the country to also help arrest other vices such at the defilement of minors as reported in some track and field camps.
Fortunately, I’m told, the ministry is in the process of streamlining the operations of training camps.
They should take advantage of this registration period to spell out anti-doping guidelines to grant upcoming sportsmen and women awareness at an early age, and nip in the bud the grand schemes of drug cheats.
