A shocking exposé by German TV station ARD and British paper, “The Sunday Times” disclosed how a section of athletes who have been training at Iten, Uasin Gishu County, have been doping.
The piece that aired on 9th July 2016 showed boxes of endurance drugs that have been banned by the international athletics body and syringes that some players have supposedly been using to boost their energy.
According to the journalists, they placed hidden cameras in the team’s training camp and were able to capture Erythropoietin (EPO) drugs and used syringes deposited in a dustbin.
The journalists teamed up with an insider from the team and visited a chemist within the area posing as athletes and asked to purchase the drugs.
After some negotiations, the investigators managed to purchase the EPO drugs with the doctor admitting they are effective since they cannot be detected during tests.
“They work within three months. This is what we use. Even if they scan, nothing is found,” said a doctor identified as Mwangi.
The doctor also admits to having sold the drugs to about 50 athletes who train in the region.
Kenya’s anti-doping agency chairman, Jasper Rugut, was shown the video and could not believe saying, “The information in this video is very shocking. I see we have problems on the ground and we are working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to ensure those involved in this malpractices are punished.”
The revelations come just days before the country participates in the Rio 2016 Olympic games set for August 5, with Kenya being on the watchlist of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Lies. Nkt