NAIROBI, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Athletics Kenya on Monday welcomed the establishment of a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) approved laboratory in the country saying the facility will be pivotal in the fight against the scourge that has tainted the sport.
The country's Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that the first-of-its-kind lab in East Africa would start operating in September after the Lancet Group of Labs East Africa (operating as Pathologists Lancet Kenya) successfully applied for its Nairobi laboratory to become WADA approved for Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) blood analysis.
Having a facility that can process samples locally will streamline the fight against a vice that has seen almost 60 Kenyan athletes sanctioned for doping violation offences in the last five years.
Kenya has been rocked by surge in doping violation cases with world 800m bronze medalist Kipyegon Bett the latest runner to be sanctioned after the AIU confirmed on Friday that he had been provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned blood booster, EPO.
Bett, the former world junior champion over the distance, faces another charge of refusing or failing to submit to sample collection after reportedly failing twice to cooperate with doping control officers.
Lucy Wangui Kabuu and Samuel Kalelei have also been charged with doping violations, while three-time men's 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop is waiting for a tribunal to rule on his case after the AIU confirmed that he had tested positive for EPO in May.
