2008 Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop will appeal his four-year ban imposed by the IAAF for an anti-doping violation at the Court of Arbitration for Sports.
Yesterday, the lanky National Police Service runner met the new Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai in Nairobi after a series of depression-driven sentiments on social media.
“It was a great thing for him to do,” said Kiprop, a Chief Inspector of Police. “It’s great to have an ear because most of the times people presume that one will be ok which is not always the case.”
The NPS sent a video and photos of Kiprop with Mutyambai on their Twitter account, saying: “Chief Inspector @KipropAsbel is our hero. We must never forget him.”
Even though it was not clear if it was part of the deliberations between the two, Kiprop said: “We are going to appeal. We were given 30 days (by the Athletes Integrity Unit) to lodge an appeal and I will be meeting my lawyer, Katwa Kigen, to draft a letter detailing our intentions to make an appeal.”
“I am also calling on the government to help me and other innocent athletes who have been wrongfully banned to prevent us from becoming prisoners of doping. If I had doped, I wouldn’t be like this (depressed and seeking justice),” added Kiprop as he continued to plead his innocence.
