Kenya’s anti-doping agency, ADAK, is set to be placed on a watchlist as a mitigation of the non-compliant status declared last month, according to the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, Olivier Niggli.
ADAK was warned in September of serious consequences unless the East African nation addressed critical requirements following an audit carried out in May last year.
“By going onto the watch list from non-compliance means that we’re going to make sure that everything gets implemented, and we’re going to see what they do for about six months now watching closely,” Niggli mentioned at a World Anti-Doping Agency media briefing.
“Make sure that the promises they made, the investment they promised, are coming to place,” he added.
While not expecting change to come overnight, he warned that non-compliance remained a threat for the future, with concern about recent ways of operating.
“Challenges such as whereabouts and so on will remain, because simply there’s no address to find the athlete, but at least we’re going to do as much as we can,” he added.
“We all have to be realistic about the temptation for athletes in Kenya, who by getting into the world level of sport — mostly in athletics — can make money that puts them and their family safe for the rest of their lives.
“The temptation is very high, meaning we have to be even more vigilant.”
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said last month that things had improved in Kenya over the past year.
Reuters /Oyenike Oyeniyi