NAIROBI, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Doping in Kenyan football is not as pronounced globally as the vice is in athletics but nonetheless, it has been a thorny issue in the game for years.
The country's national soccer team, the Harambee Stars, edged South Sudan 1-0 in the international friendly played in the capital Nairobi on Saturday in a winning start to the country's busy international window. They are also scheduled to play Tanzania in a double-header scheduled for Monday and Thursday.
Stars will then host Egypt on March 22 before traveling to Togo on March 30 to honor their final 2020 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying rounds with third-placed Kenya virtually out of the running for the continental showpiece rescheduled to next year.
Head coach Jacob Mulee enlisted the services of locally based players with travel restrictions during the pandemic making it difficult for the tactician to call-up his foreign contingent.
This presented an opportunity for Football Kenya Federation (FKF) who organized a training session for Harambee Stars with the country's Anti-Doping Agency in an effort to create awareness among the players.
Recreational drug use, especially banned stimulant Khat (Miraa), is rampant in Kenyan domestic football with the practice continuing unabated due to virtually no testing in local leagues.
A seminar which was held on Thursday in Nairobi saw Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) officials take the players and team officials through the dangers of substance abuse, the measures in place to curb doping and health welfare.
"It is very important to the players because we don't get such sessions like this. It is important to our health because we think football is playing on the pitch but what we consume is also important in terms of the energy drinks and supplements we use," midfielder Kenneth Muguna said.
"This session will change our views of the game and take some things we have been taking lightly more seriously. We hope to have more and more similar sessions," he added.
Former head and now assistant coach, Twahir Muhiddin, called for the anti-doping sensitization program to be rolled out to local clubs to curb substance abuse in Kenyan football.
"We have been through such issues before and I am requesting the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya to be visiting clubs throughout the country, this will help in bringing discipline and cleaning up the sport," he added.
Muhiddin further hailed the session for shedding light on other doping control measures in place for drug testing.
"I have tackled such issues with the national team at different competitions where our team is visited, and three players are chosen at the stadium. Sometimes, the match ended at 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. but I recall some players had to be left with the doctor in the stadium until midnight," Muhiddin said.
"Perhaps it was due to the shock that we have been told about here that makes the urine refuse to come. I am grateful now there is blood testing which will help more than the difficult urine testing," he added. Enditem
