Africa-Press – Kenya. Sports CS Ababu Namwamba has said the government is taking firm measures to protect and uphold the integrity of athletics and sport.
This comes amidst increased cases of doping in the country.
Namwamba said the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts is working in unison with Athletics Integrity Unit and World Anti-Doping Agency to resolve the menace.
His sentiments come after reports that Kenya is staring at a ban.
The Cs said Kenya’s position is zero tolerance to doping.
“Kenya is fully committed to ending the doping menace. The ministry is exploring all available options to ensure that Kenya is removed from the list of class A doping nations,” he said.
Namwamba said athletes, coaches and relevant athletics institutions must work together to eradicate this menace that threatens Kenya’s place in international athletics.
“We cannot allow our nation to be banned because of the actions of some greedy unethical individuals. We will target and deal decisively with the criminals and their syndicates. We must work together to eradicate doping and cheating from athletics and sports,” he said.
The CS further said the ministry has a good and effective plan to deal with doping.
He warned the few unethical criminal elements hellbent on soiling Kenya’s hard-earned premium pedigree as a top athletics nation, which prides itself on competing and winning clean.
“We will not allow them, and we must defeat doping and its perpetrators. This is a serious concern and that is why the government is giving total undivided attention. We are treating it as a matter of top strategic national interest,” Namwamba said.
The CS also challenged sportsmen and women to subscribe to Abraham Lincoln’s word that “I would rather lose honourably than cheat.”
Namwamba further urged the World Athletics not to ban Kenya.
He said he has conveyed this assurance in a letter to Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
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