AK moves to clean house through coaches registration

Athletics Kenya (AK) is set to wind up registration of both local and foreign coaches on Monday as the federation step ups its efforts  to safeguard the sport.

The process that begun last Wednesday at the federations headquarters at Riadha House was set to close on Friday but AK extended the deadline to Monday owing to the high turnout of the coaches.

According to AK Nairobi branch chairman Barnabas Korir, the process has been a success thus far with large turnout being witnessed.

“We started registering coaches last Wednesday and due to huge turnout we extended the deadline to Monday .We expect to have the data of all coaches conducting athletes in the country,” said Korir.

Korir who is also the AK head of Youth Development said the main aim of registering coaches is to ensure they assist those who do not have proper certification to acquire the same as well as to help curb the doping menace which has hit the country in the recent past.

“We are taking this exercise seriously so that we can curtail doping because the first contact of an athlete is the coach. Also, we want to assist those coaches that have not undertaken training to attain the required credentials,” said Korir.

After the conclusion of the registration process, any coach who will be found coaching or managing Kenyan athletes without registering with AK will face stern action.

“Any coach who will not register and is found conducting Kenyan athletes then sanctions will be taken against them as well as the athletes they are coaching because we must protect athletics in this country for posterity,” added Korir.

For athletes, the process of registration is continuous where upon clearing with the federation they are issued with Athlete Registration number which is synchronized with IAAF, Athletes Integrity Unity (AIU) and World Anti doping Agency (WADA).

“We don’t have a problem with the registration of athletes because it is a continuous process and I urge those athletes that are doing well and have not registered with us to do so because all athletes must get an approval from AK in order to travel anywhere,” Korir noted.