Rado officials assure Team Kenya over hiked dope tests

Regional Anti-Doping Organization (Rado) Africa Zone V officials have assured Kenyan athletes the frequent drug tests are not aimed at disrupting their normal training schedule ahead of Rio Olympics.

Speaking at Kipchoge Keino High Performance Training Centre in Eldoret after a session with athletes, Rado Zone V Executive Manager, Christine Mugera, said it is in the best interest of the athletes to comply with the process.

The officials dispelled claims from athletes they are interfering with their preparations for the August 5 to 21 quadrennial sporting showpiece while conducting the anti-doping exercise that has been stepped up following an order from the International Olympics Committee (IOC).

This follows complaints from a section of athletes that they were ambushed at the at the Training Centre where Kenya’s track and field team is camping by the doping control officers.

“There have been misconception about the process and that is why we came here to clarify and enlighten the athletes and how we operate,”Mugera said.

She urged them to consider increased testing as an opportunity to enhance the presentation of clean participants at the Olympics.

“It is in their best interest because if one refuses to comply, it is like saying you are hiding something hence we take it as a positive test,” she added.

Mugera said the out of competition tests are continuous and samples require to be taken before an athlete reports at a training camp across the country.

“Athletes samples including blood need to be taken two hours before the start of an athlete training and that is why doping control officials can’t come anytime,” she explained.

The official cautioned athletes against fraudsters noting the officials conducting dope tests must at all times identify themselves.

This comes as the body is implementing IOC’s directive of testing Kenyan athletes three or more times before the Olympics before they are admitted to compete at the Games.

Kenya is under world athletics governing body, the IAAF watch list over doping as the country waits to be declared compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) Code following the verdict to outlaw the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya in May.

The athletes were told they should expect results at the end of the management process.

“We are guided by the Code and we observe confidentiality. I can’t reveal anything until when the result management process has been completed,” she said.

Mugera asked athletes to keep away from supplements saying the sector is not controlled and some banned substances may be sneaked in hence leading to positive tests.

“Stick on good diet and avoid supplements because you don’t know what has been mixed with. Some banned substances may sneak in,” she advised.

Kenya came under the Wada spotlight when over 40 athletes from the country with an established tradition in track and field tested positive for banned substances between 2012 and this year.

The country’s Government initially passed an Anti-Doping Law that was deemed faulty by the world anti doping body and the ADAK declared non-compliant on May 12. Less than a month later, the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill of 2016 was passed and signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta who is said to have asked to see the results of the anti-doping process of the Rio 2016 team personally.

Kenya is now waiting to be reinstated as a compliant nation.