CALL TO FIGHT DOPING LIKE HIV

Observers say sanction-threatened Kenya not doing enough to keep athletes clean

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Kenyan athletes may have shone at the world championships in Tokyo, winning seven golds, but persistent allegations of doping still cast a shadow as the global anti-doping agency threatens to sanction the African country.

The warning is anything but trivial for a nation whose runners embody Kenyans' hopes for lifting families out of poverty, a desperate desire that can drive some over the line.

Over the years, and following numerous scandals, Kenya has repeatedly promised and invested millions to clear up the issue but it remains high up on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) watch list.

"Most of our athletes are running to escape poverty and support their families, and they, as a result, will use all manner of things, including doping," said Kenya's three-time Boston Marathon winner Ibrahim Hussein, 67.

"Winning is a lifetime chance."

Some 140 Kenyan athletes, mainly long-distance runners, have been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) since 2017 more than any other nation.