Kenya will take a clean team to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This was the message by the Kenya Enhanced Anti-Doping Project Joint Working Group in Naivasha on Thursday.
The team, consisting of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Athletics Kenya (AK), and the Ministry of Sports, is reviewing the progress made by the country on the Multi-Agency Collaboration Programme set up by the government.
The areas of concern at the two-day workshop include education, testing, sports regulations, corporate communication, medical, finance, intelligence, investigation and legal.
"From the support and findings made from this report, we want to confidently say we will not only send the best athletes to Paris but the cleanest ones," said Wesley Korir, chairman of the Kenya Enhanced Anti-Doping Project Joint Working Group SteeringCommittee.
"We are now testing the athletes as many times as possible and through the intelligence network, we will ensure those tested are not doing anything malicious behind doors," Korir stated.
So far, 67 athletes have qualified for the Paris Olympics and there's hope that more will punch their tickets.
"Qualification for the Olympics ends on June 30 and we are encouraging those who have not yet punched tickets to the championships to continue working hard," stated AK president Jackson Tuwei.
ADAK's Director of Compliance and Testing, Peninnah Wahome, said they have tested over 1500 athletes in the race for the Paris Olympics Qualifiers.
She said the athletes have met the anti-doping requirements but will still need two more tests before departure for Paris.
"We are glad that we have reached a bigger number than the previous Olympics in anti-doping requirements," she said.
"This is an assurance to the country that those participants going for the Olympics and its qualifiers are well taken care of in terms of testing."
World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and the AIU praised the review as a step in the right direction.
"We have great interest in Kenya as the country is a pacesetter for the African continent at the Olympics, moreso in athletics. We are here to observe the progress of the Multi-Agency Collaboration team. We want to see sustainability on the project and are grateful to the Kenyan government for supporting the programme," said Wada Africa Director, Rodney Swigelaar.
The AIU Chief Executive Officer Brett Clothier said they are glad to be part of the team and praised the Kenyan government for pumping USD5 million into the five-year project.
"From my findings, Kenya is on the right path in this anti-doping war. We are pleased with the progress made, even though there are a lot of kilometres to be covered," Clothier underscored.
