• Korir said they has received information about a cartel of unscrupulous individuals who cash in on naive athletes.
• He said that AK will continue to cooperate closely with the national anti-doping agency ADAK to stop the practice.
Severe penalties, including possible imprisonment, should be meted out to coaches and assistants who aid athletes in substance abuse.
These are the remarks made by Athletics Kenya (AK) head of youth development Barnaba Korir while fielding questions from journalists on the NTV Spot On show on Monday evening.
"AK has found out that there are some coaches and athletes' assistants who may be involved and may also know what is going on," Korir said.
"While we wait for the new government, we are having discussions with the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) on how to handle the whole issue. Strict action will be taken against those who misuse that trust," he added.
He said the AK has initiated national training programs for local coaches as part of control measures. "We have had discussions with ADAK to start providing education to trainers and support staff so that everyone has the necessary information to combat the negative behaviour of using performance-enhancing drugs."
Korir lashed out at some athletes who he accused of deliberately deceiving their peers by spreading outright lies about the supposed benefits of banned drugs.
"There is this false narrative being spread by some athletes that if you don't use a banned drug then you won't win any race because other people are using it.
"You will even find runners encouraging each other to use prohibited substances while claiming their competitors are using them."
Korir said they have received information about a cartel of unscrupulous individuals who cash in on naive athletes.
"They are the ones who give banned substances to the athletes and they have even been visiting the camps to influence the athletes.
"We have information that they have been trying to reach the top athletes including those who participated in the Under-20 World Championships."
He said that AK will continue to cooperate closely with the national anti-doping agency ADAK to stop the practice.
"We provide every information we receive to ADAK for important steps. We have certain structures to ensure that the fight is not only aimed at athletes but also at all the basic factors that affect their performance. "
AK is determined to ensure all information received is shared with young athletes to sensitize them about the effects of using the evils of drugs.
Korir said they will continue to set up camps across the country to ensure that young athletes are not infected by these predators. In a strong statement issued on Monday, AK said they will launch their most potent weapons to wage permanent war against all suspected agents of doping in the country.
“As the national federation in charge of the sport in Kenya, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to weeding out the vice of doping in the country,” the statement read in part.