Kenya welcomes opening of drug-testing lab

NAIROBI: Athletics Kenya on Monday welcomed the establishment in Nairobi of a World Anti-Doping Agency-approved blood testing laboratory for East Africa declaring it a big step in their anti-doping fight.

The laboratory, due to open next month, will test all doping cases in international track and field in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania and Uganda.“This is the best news we have received this year, and we in Athletics Kenya are very excited about it because it will help us to fight this menace of doping effectively,” said president Jackson Tuwei at a news conference.

Until now blood samples from East African athletes had to be flown to South Africa or Europe for testing at an approved lab within 36 hours, a tight time frame that led to the regular bending of anti-doping rules.

“This time around things will be faster, easier and cheaper, and those who want to engage in doping will suffer the consequences. We are currently working very closely with the Athletics Integrity Unit and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, and those who want to cheat should start counting their days,” Tuwei warned.