Harambee Stars' preparations for Malawi tournament were disrupted on Wednesday leaving Coach Engin Firat fuming due to an unexpected late-night interruption at their camp.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat was left seething with frustration mere hours before the team's departure for the Four Nations Tournament in Malawi.
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An unexpected late-night visit from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) at the team's hotel, which not only disrupted their rest but also forced the cancellation of a crucial training session.
Harambee Stars, gearing up for the tournament set to be held in Lilongwe, Malawi, had settled in at the Holiday Inn, located at the Two Rivers Mall.
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It was here that all 24 players were subjected to doping tests, with both urine and dried bloodspot samples (DBS) being collected late at night.
The process, stretching till past midnight, left the team and its management questioning the timing and necessity of testing every single player, rather than a random few, which is often the norm.
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Firat voiced his concerns vehemently, highlighting the adverse impact of the operation on the team's preparation.
"They walked into our hotel at 8 pm, at a time when the players had already gone to sleep, demanding to take samples. I initially thought of resisting because the timing was not good. The players were exhausted from training and needed recovery. I wonder why they did not do it in the morning," Firat shared with People Sports.
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The disruption led to the cancellation of Wednesday morning's training session, a crucial time that was supposed to be utilized for recovery and strategic planning.
ADAK's head of legal, Bildad Rogoncho, defended the agency's actions, asserting that they were within their rights and obligations under the world anti-doping code.
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Rogoncho emphasized the importance of ensuring that national teams represent their country without the shadow of doping allegations.
“The Anti-doping program dictates that sample collections can be conducted by any organization that has got the testing authority... ADAK has got express authority to conduct sample collection at any given time,” Rogoncho explained.
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