More than 100 athletes from KCB Sports Teams underwent anti-doping training from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) at the KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka on Thursday.
The athletes, drawn from the different disciplines – rugby, football, chess, and volleyball were taken through the 2024 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited substances in a bid to strengthen clean sports in the country.
ADAK Clean Sport Educator Walter Omwenga said: “This is one of the most significant sessions for athletes because in the world of anti-doping, their first contact should be education. We are equipping them with the knowledge that will help them in deterrence because once they are empowered, it becomes easy for them to make the right decisions and avoid prohibited substances or any other act that may get them banned from sports.”
ADAK domiciled in the Ministry of Sports, is mandated to carry out the fight against doping in sports. Among the highlights of the day’s training included: antidoping rule violations; the doping control process; the prohibited list 2024 (substances); Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE); sports injury management and the consequences of doping.
KCB Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Judith-Sidi Odhiambo who doubles up as the KCB Women’s Volleyball Team patron noted that athletes must demonstrate a level playing field as they participate in different competitions.
“As KCB, we firmly believe in fairness, we also believe in a level playing field and clean competition. Therefore, through this training, we hope that our players will know what is expected from them. We are also delving into the issue of mental health, being a men’s mental health awareness month,” said Judith.
The Prohibited List is updated annually following an extensive consultation process facilitated by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories, such as steroids, stimulants, or gene doping.
