Kenya takes extra measures to send dope free team to World Cross Country Championships

NAIROBI, march 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has taken extra steps and anti-doping test in order to send a clean team to the World Cross Country Championships, which will be staged in Denmark on march 30.

With over 60 athletes having been implicated or banned for doping related offense, Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jack Tuwei said they have taken extra measures to only enter athletes with no previous doping history and will pass through any further test done by the organizers and IAAF.

"Anti-doping campaign is serious business in this camp. We don't want to win using cheats. Kenya has too many talented athletes to call from and we need to play fair and win clean. The war on doping will not be won easily if we don't keep up to the rule book," said Tuwei after visiting Kenya team training camp in Embu on Friday.

The 30-member Kenya team will also undergo mandatory tests by anti-doping officials to ensure they are clean.

"We have officers from the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya who will be coming here to make sure that you are in good conditions. Before you leave for the competition all of you will be required to fill is a consent form that will be used for the World Cross Country but also in all other competitions," said Tuwei.

Head coach John Letting, however, said the doping menace will not water down their chance of defending the titles they last won in Guiyang, China in 2015 and Kampala, Uganda in 2017.

"I know there are several Kenyans, who have failed to stake their claim at home and will be running for their adopted countries. It is good for their welfare and for the competition. But Kenya will always have the edge and we are doing everything to get just that," said Letting.

Uganda, United States, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, Azerbaijan and a few other countries all have former Kenyan athletes and will be keen to sprint past their home country in Denmark. Tuwei has cautioned the team to be wary of tough competition in Aarhus.

"The athletes are ready and will use the final week to polish their skills before heading to Denmark. But the competition is getting stiffer each year. You should not allow complacency creep in because a World championship is a very competitive event. For example, we have to face Ethiopians, and then Ugandans are also coming up very well not forgetting USA whose team is majorly made of Kenyans," said Tuwei.

Defending senior men's champion Geoffrey Kamworor has been appointed the team captain and will be leading from the front as he eyes his third title as a senior athlete - having won in Guiyang and Kampala - to add to the one he won as a junior back in 2011 in Punta Umbria, Spain.

"I have been in the national team for the past four editions and for sure this is the strongest team ever," said Kamworor. "It is not about me but this team is strong and they will help me win."