53 Kenyan athletes have been listed among 363 others spread across the globe in a “doping list” by the governing body of world athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).

According to IAAF, as revealed in an article by The Standard Newspaper, the athletes have tested positive for banned substances.

“The confidential IAAF document titled IAAF Anti-Doping Programme – 2015 Testing Statistics shows tests indicated the athletes had drug readings beyond acceptable levels,” The Standard reports.

Russia reportedly has the largest number of athletes in the list of doping. The IAAF report also includes athletes from USA and Jamaica.

RUSSIA SUSPENDED OVER DOPING

Russia’s athletics federation was suspended by the IAAF in 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report containing allegations of state-supported doping.

KIPROP DENIES DOPING CLAIMS

Former Olympic and world champion Asbel Kiprop has become the latest Kenyan athlete to be accused of doping although the athelete has vehemently denied the allegations and has in a statement implicated the IAAF in the brewing doping scandal.

The three-time 1500m world champion reportedly tested positive for the performance enhancing drug erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test.

Kiprop has however said that he has been implicated for refusing to bribe officials who were handling his samples and has termed the whole process as “flawed”.

“My family and I are devastated. I am traumatised,” said Kiprop. “I will fight the case to prove my innocence to the end. It is my position that the process was flawed from the start.” He said.

Kiprop has revealed that contrary to regulations, he was given prior notice of the intention to collect his samples for testing.

“If I had any dope substance in my system then I would not have availed myself for sampling on 27th November when I had been given the notice on 26th November,” Kiprop said.

The athlete further revealed that the doping control officers who went to collect his sample asked for some money, which he said he did not imagine had anything to do with the samples.

Kiprop also claims that he was offered an IAAF ambassadorial role if he admitted to doping.

AAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has admitted that its Doping Control Officer indeed tipped Kiprop on the planned testing, saying it was a breach of protocol.

KENYAN ATHLETES BANNED FOR DOPING

A number of Kenyan athletes have been increasingly falling to doping. More than 40 athletes have failed drugs tests over the past five years.

Rio 2016 Olympic marathon champion Jemima Samgong, who made history by becoming Kenya’s first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon, was handed a four-year ban in 2017 after testing positive for the blood-booster (EPO). Samgong had also tested positive for prednisone in 2012.

Kenya’s multi-marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, who had been Samgong’s trainning partner was also banned for four years after she also tested positive for EPO in 2014.