WADA committee recommends Kenya declared non-compliant

Record ID: 103922

  • Title: WADA committee recommends Kenya declared non-compliant
  • Date: 12th May 2016
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ATHLETICS KENYA (AK) HEADQUARTERS STATUES OF PAUL TERGAT AND CATHERINE NDEREBA OUTSIDE THE HEADQUARTERS MAIN AK OFFICE BLOCK ITEN, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ATHLETES RUNNING UP A DIRT ROAD GREAT RIFT VALLEY AT SUNRISE VARIOUS OF ATHLETES IN AN EARLY MORNING JOG ATHLETES RUNNING ATHLETES STRETCHING ATHLETES RUNNING
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2016 18:34
  • Keywords: Kenya WADA doping athletics Olympics
  • Location: NAIROBI AND ITEN, KENYA
  • City: NAIROBI AND ITEN, KENYA
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Athletics,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014HI84SN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The World Anti-Doping Agency's compliance review committee unanimously recommended on Thursday (May 12) that Kenya be found in non-compliance with the WADA Code with immediate effect.
    The surprise move could lead to Kenyan athletes missing August's Rio Olympics if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) so deems. Only the IOC can ban a sport or country from the Olympics.
    According to WADA, the compliance review committee cited issues with Kenya's new legislation which it says is not in line with the WADA code.
    "They are sufficiently major changes that they wouldn't be operating under the same rules as everybody else so we need to get it right," WADA president Craig Reedie told Reuters.
    Under the WADA Code, non-compliant countries and sporting federations risk being prohibited from holding international events.
    Kenya's parliament had passed, and its president signed, a law last month that will criminalise doping.
    Many thought that would satisfy WADA's threat to sanction the African nation famous for its middle and long-distance runners.
    But Reedie said the legislation was not code compliant.
    "We have been working with Kenya for a number of years and thought we had agreed that the draft legislation and rules were entirely compliant and it would appear that during their parliamentary process changes were made that unfortunately weren't code compliant so we will be in touch with Kenya to try and resolve that at the earliest possible moment."
    WADA had give Kenya until May to enact the law or be declared non-compliant.
    Up to 40 Kenyan athletes have failed doping tests since 2012, the biggest name among them being former three-time Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, now serving a ban.
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