KRU fire back at doping allegations

 

Kenyan Sevens rugby coaches, including former BltizBokke coach Paul Treu, were alleged to have given players a drink at the beginning and end of training that contained steroids.

 

This is according to Moni Wekesa, the Chairman of the task force that investigated.

 

However, the Kenya Government has now  been challenged to state whether they had confidence in the qualification and integrity of members of a committee, headed by Wekesa, which is alleging that Kenyan sportsmen, have been using illegal food supplements.

 

Muthee said his organization was shocked to find press reports stating: “That, in the first place, it is illegal to use nutritional supplements.”

 

He said only one player had failed a doping test and that was way back in 2005.

 

He also added that the Sevens players, who play up to nine months in a year around the world, are tested by standards set by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Rugby Board and none had failed since 2005.

 

Muthee, said on Tuesday that there was no WADA approved Anti-Doping Agency in Kenya and a recent local Anti-Doping Taskforce committee assembled had 'cobbled together fallacious information from familiar players of local sports politics wishing to score points for their own agenda.' 

 

Muthee, who is currently out of the country, sent a brief message to the Kenyan Minister of Sports and Culture, Dr Hassan Wario on Tuesday.

 

"This is shoddy and misinformed work by Moni Wekesa [the committee’s chairman].

 

"Our game is unfairly tarnished beyond repair and some Kenyans are now liable to litigation because of the press publication of absolute rubbish and untruth.

 

"This exercise was a search for cheap publicity which it has achieved.”

 

Geoffrey Kimani, the strength and conditioning coach whose name has been dragged through the mud in the report, spoke to rugby365.

 

"I can categorically state that the Sevens players are subjected to numerous doping tests on and off competition… locally and internationally," Kimani told rugby365.

 

"I have been with the team in the last six years on various capacities, but all touching on strength and conditioning and in none of those years has any player tested positive.

 

"Slandering my name and linking it to the very vices that we as coaches are trained to preach against is unprofessional and reckless to say the least. 

 

 

When the Wekesa committee report was handed to Wario, its coverage on the online site of a local radio, Capital FM, sensationally headlined that current Kenya Sevens coach, Paul Treu and his predecessor as Kenya Sevens coach Mike Friday had 'put Kenya Sevens players on steroids'. 

 

Friday’s instant retort to the Capital FM Sports was: “You [Capital FM Sports] will need very good lawyers if you don't publicly retract and apologise for these lies.”

 

There has been much skepticism surrounding Wekesa and his qualifications with Athletics Kenya refusing to co-operate when the committee was formed in November last year.

 

Muthee has said: "It would take the Minister’s quick steps to repair the terrible damage caused by careless statements and wild allegations made by the Wekesa report.”

 

“There are questions and questions that Wekesa needs to answer.”