World Athletics (WA) president Seb Coe has praised Kenya for its significant progress in the fight against doping, expressing optimism that the country will soon overcome this challenge in athletics.
Coe emphasized that while it may be difficult to declare a clear victory over doping, the efforts being made are heading in the right direction.
“I’m not sure whether I like saying we are winning or not, but I think we’re moving in the right direction. I believe that in the future, we will see drug-free sports. We now have processes in place, including collaborations with the AIU. This is not a battle that will be won overnight,” Coe said.
The WA president also acknowledged the impact of increased government funding, which has led to more anti-doping tests and, consequently, more positive cases being detected.
“Doping is a global challenge, and we always aim to stay ahead of it. It was expected that with more funding and increased testing, the number of cases would rise. In fact, I’d be concerned if more testing were conducted and the numbers remained low,” he added.
Coe made these comments during his visit to Athletics Kenya’s headquarters at Riadha House on Wednesday evening.
During his brief stay in the country, he also met with Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya at Talanta Plaza.
Athletics Kenya (AK) president Lt Gen (Rtd) Jack Tuwei expressed gratitude to Coe for his substantial contributions to the growth of Kenyan athletics during his leadership.
As Coe nears the end of his term as WA president, he has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
