Kenya to receive help from China, Norway in fight against doping

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya has partnered with Chinese and Norwegian anti-doping agencies to help root out drugs cheats in the east African country famous for its middle and long-distance runners, Kenya's sports minister said on Wednesday. Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario said Chinese and Norwegian agencies will help the newly-formed Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya once it becomes operational on Feb. 1, mainly with education and advocacy. "The scourge of doping has embarrassed our country and we are now working with progressive forces with more knowledge on the subject to take on it head on," Wario said at the beginning of a seminar on doping in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Kenya, which has blamed foreign agents for leading athletes into using performance enhancing drugs, has long been accused of not taking measures to deal with a growing number of doping cases. The issue has become more urgent since Rita Jeptoo, one of Kenya's best known athletes and winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons for the last two years, failed drugs tests late last year. She has denied being a drugs cheat. Wario said he had confidence in the Chinese and Norwegian anti-doping bodies that were recommended to Kenya by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). "Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and ADN (the Norwegian agency) have a lot of experience and resources that will be useful in the fight against doping as we establish ourselves," he said. "They will look at our legislation, policy, education programme and advise us accordingly."