We need to put our house in order. This was the message from Athletics Kenya to athletes coaches held on Eldoret bovver the weekend.
According to Central Rift Athletics Kenya Chairman Abraham Mutai, coaches are the first people to encounter athletes and spend most of time with them hence if they are trained on the anti-doping procedure, they may end the menace that has cropped into the country with many athletes being banned for use of banned substances in sports.
With Kenya being rated in class A by IAAF, Mutai said the region proud itself for producing top athletes across the world hence they have to protect what values most to them.
“It is the work of the federation to fight the vice which we are doing. We are working out to create awareness on the doping issues among coaches, a menace that we want to take it out of this country. Our good name doesn’t have to be tarnished by doping since we have the best talents,” said Mutai.
After a meeting with over 100 coaches, Mutai said they will get out of that class because the federation is working to ensure that all athletes are sensitized and get proper information on the issues of doping and get to know and avoid it. This is a propgramme that will run across the country and make sure that all athletes are reformed to stay clean,” he said.
He added that they need to put their house in order to Avoid getting a ban from IAAF.
“As a federation, one thing we believe in is education and today we have chosen to educate the coaches because they stay around the athletes. They are also our eyes and they can pass to us information. The federation does not stay with the coaches and athletes all the time. But we need them when it comes to technical matters. They also have to know the process and importance of fighting doping in the country. We can’t stop doing this because if we stop that means we have given up on something important to get different results,” concluded Mutai.
