NAIROBI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri has warned Kenyan athletes that they risk missing invitations to compete at lucrative global competition if the rate of doping cheats continues increasing.
Obiri, who has a back injury and has stepped out of competition to allow for her rehabilitation, said most Kenyan elite runners are looked with skepticism whenever they win international races as many cases of doping are being confirmed on monthly basis.
And though the responsibility of doping is individual, the 30-year-old Obiri said the country's image has been tainted and they need to take drastic action to criminalize the offense and curb its spread to the upcoming generation.
"I know that am running clean and get tested every now and then. But we have a menace in our system and we want the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to take strict and punitive measures against those implicated."
"It is no longer glamorous when you win a big race abroad. The people don't trust you. It is that bad. But for me I am running good and clean," Obiri said on Friday.
Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent anti-doping agency of the World Athletics, has ranked Kenya under category one together with Ethiopia, Venezuela and Ukraine with high number of possible dope cases or athletes who can be influenced to cheat globally.
WADA report said 138 athletes from Kenya tested positive to banned drugs between 2004 and 2018. Another 54 cases have had positive sanctions by AIU in the last two years.
But Obiri said all that will not dampen her spirit as she hopes to heal in time to compete at the first leg of the Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar on April 17. And she was also in line to run at the home competition during the inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour on May 2 in Nairobi.
"I will not be running frequently this season. I have to heal and decide which race to compete in to save the energy for the Olympic Games," Obiri added.
Obiri has remained guarded on her assault of the Tokyo Olympics after she failed to win a double at the World Championships in Doha.
She has insisted on competing in the traditional 5,000m, but can also try her luck in the 10,000m race.
