“The three members shall remain suspended for the said period of 180 days, as directed by the IAAF ethics commission, to allow for investigations”, AK said in a statement, promising to cooperate with the investigating officials.
Advertisement
Three top Kenyan track and field officials have been provisionally suspended by the ethics commission of the sport’s global governing body based on several allegations of wrongdoing, including one that the officials diverted sponsorship money from sportswear maker Nike Inc.
The suspension applies to Isaiah Kiplagat, Athletics Kenya’s long-serving president, as well as David Okeyo and Joseph Kinyua, the vice-president and former treasurer of Athletics Kenya respectively.
The trio were suspended “from any IAAF or Athletics Kenya position pending investigation of complaints made against them and evidence and information which has been received by the IAAF Ethics Commission”. The suspensions were made “in the interests of the integrity of the sport”.
The first was “in relation to potential subversion of the anti-doping control process in Kenya”.
The IAAF investigation into alleged cover-ups increases the possibility that Kenya, the distance running powerhouse that tied with Jamaica for the most gold medals with seven at the world championships in August, could follow Russian Federation and be suspended.
Kiplagat is also accused of receiving a gift of two motor vehicles from Qatar Association of Athletics Federation between 2014-15.
The company has close links to the city of Eugene in OR, which was awarded the 2021 World Championships without a vote, something which is also likely to be on the committee’s agenda.
Advertisement
Russian Federation has already been banned from all athletics competitions as a result of doping violations uncovered by a damning report from Wada and investigator Dick Pound.
