Another blow as Mercy Oketch fails doping test

Mercy Oketch of Kenya competes during the women’s 400m at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, Poland, on September 18. [AFP]

The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) has released another lineup of distance athletes and players as the fight against prohibited substances in sport persists.

On Thursday, the agency published names of athletes in a list headlined sprint sensation, world 4x400m mixed relays bronze medallist Mercy Oketch, further casting a shadow of doubt on the credibility of the country’s top guns.

With the women’s 400m national record holder and more than ten other athletes under scrutiny for anti-doping rule violations facing provisional suspension in recent days, and a starring at a ban, Kenya at cross roads at it struggles to get out of category A of World Athletics Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) doping watch list.

Adak, in its publication claimed that Oketch tested positive for trimetazidine, a hormone and metabolic modulator and furosemide, a diuretic and masking agent.

A majority of the athletes provisionally suspended by Adak are suspected to have tested positive of performance enhancing drugs while others are facing accusation of evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection.

Distance athletes such as Shadrack Kipkurui, Lameck Too, Justus Muasya, Mark Korir, Susan Njeri, Gladys Muthoni, Bethwel Kipsang, Sheila Jebichii and Esther Kioko were among those featured in the list of suspension.

Eliud Mwangi and Bernard Kipkemoi were found by Adak to have evaded, refused or failed to submit to sample collection.

There was confusion when the provisional suspension list was published on Thursday.

Track athlete Noah Kibet Cherokony, was named, triggering speculations as athletics enthusiasts confused him with Noah Kibet, the World Indoor 800m silver medallist.

Adak was forced to clarify the confusion through a press statement.

“The similarity in the names of the two athletes has occasioned confusion and speculations in sections of the media and among members of the public , resulting in the erroneous association of Noah Kibet, the 800m athlete and 2022 World Indoor Championships silver medallist, with the provisional suspension,” Adak said.

Samples from rugby stars among them Derick Ochieng and John Shiemi tested positive for Cannabinoids, from bhang which is taken through smoking.

Oketch’s suspension is just one case out of many doping suspicions involving athletes who have bagged medals for Kenya at the global stage.

Recently the reigning world marathon champion and Olympic gold medallist Peres Jepchirchir was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after her sample taken out of competition ahead of the Sydney Marathon late in August tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO).

According to the rules, Oketch and Jepchirchir cases remain subject to the applicable anti-doping procedures and the athlete’s rights to defend herself remain intact.

However, despite the tough battle against performance-enhancing drugs, and Kenya remaining in the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) watch list, cheating is pushing Kenya towards the edge.