Exposed and sentenced: How former athlete Kiptum & coach's daring scheme nearly toppled Kenya's athletics pride

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ATHLETICS Exposed and sentenced: How former athlete Kiptum & coach's daring scheme nearly toppled Kenya's athletics pride

Festus Chuma 10:58 - 21.03.2024

Nairobi court sentences two for fabricating doping claims against Kenyan athletes aiming to tarnish their and the nation's athletic reputation.

Eight years ago, the athletics world was shaken by allegations that threatened to undermine the integrity and achievements of Kenyan athletes on the global stage. 

In a groundbreaking case that has now reached its conclusion, a Nairobi court has sentenced former athlete Elias Kiptum Maindi and coach Paul Kibet Simbolei for their roles in fabricating doping allegations against some of Kenya's most celebrated athletes. 

Their actions not only sought to tarnish the reputation of these individuals but also aimed to cast a shadow over Kenya's esteemed position in the world of athletics.

Magistrate Njeri Thuku of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport court found that Kiptum and Kibet were guilty of conspiring to forge false doping information, as reported by People Daily.

Their elaborate scheme was designed to discredit the athletic prowess of Kenyan sportspeople, including world champions and Olympians.

Among the victims were luminaries like Vivian Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri, Eunice Jepkoech Sum, Juan Pedro, Amos Kipruto, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, and Beatrice Chepkoech. 

This nefarious plot aimed at having these athletes banned from participating in the Olympics, striking a blow to their careers and the country's standing in international competitions.

The court detailed how Kiptum, leveraging his status as a retired athlete, and Kibet, exploiting his coaching credentials, engaged in an international conspiracy. 

They forged documents and communicated with foreign media outlets, disseminating false doping allegations against their compatriots. 

A particularly damning piece of evidence was a fabricated letter, purportedly informing athlete Joyce Chepkirui’s manager of a positive test for Norandrosterone, a banned substance. This led to Chepkirui, who had competed in prestigious marathons in New York and Boston, being unfairly banned from athletics.

Further extending their deceit, Kiptum also targeted Italian athletics agent Federico Rosa, falsely accusing his company, Rosa & Associati, of involvement in doping. This accusation not only damaged Rosa's reputation but also unjustly implicated Kenyan athletes like Rita Jeptoo, leading to her four-year doping ban in 2019 by the IAAF.

The court heard how the duo had meticulously prepared documents, falsely attributed to officials from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and Athletics Kenya (AK), which were then shared with journalists in Europe.

These actions were part of a concerted effort to suggest that doping was endorsed and even encouraged by state agencies in Kenya, with the ultimate goal of having Kenya suspended from Olympic participation.

This scandal dates back to 2015 when Kibet Simbolei first made headlines by accusing senior officials of Athletics Kenya of corruption and complicity in doping cover-ups. 

His allegations, which were aired in documentaries and reports by international media including German Television ARD and British newspaper The Sunday Times, painted a grim picture of the athletics administration in Kenya. 

Kibet claimed that instead of imposing bans, Athletics Kenya would clear accused athletes for competition in exchange for a share of their earnings.

Kibet's assertions at the time were met with severe backlash, including 'threats to his life', which he believed stemmed from the officials he accused. 

He alleged a deep-seated corruption within Athletics Kenya where officials were purportedly taking bribes from athletes to cover up doping allowing them to compete internationally and domestically.

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