Athletics Kenya (AK) has announced a crackdown to combat age fraud among athletes, warning that offenders will face sanctions from World Athletics. This move comes weeks before the national cross-country championship, scheduled for February 8, 2025, in Eldoret.
Barnaba Korir, AK’s Director of Youth Development, revealed that World Athletics flagged 30 Kenyan athletes for potential age cheating. AK is now investigating these cases.
“Some athletes provided inconsistent birth dates, with some cases going back eight years. Even top athletes are under scrutiny,” said Korir. “World Athletics expects us to verify their ages, and the AK President has instructed us to complete investigations and submit a report by January 15, 2025, so that the findings can be shared with World Athletics.”
Korir warned that athletes found guilty of age fraud will face penalties similar to doping violations, including the nullification of results achieved during the period in question.
“If we suspect foul play, AK will delve deeper to ascertain the facts. If evidence emerges that an individual tampered with their age, appropriate action will be taken based on the severity of the offense,” he stated.
AK is also working with security agencies to identify and prosecute individuals who help athletes falsify birth registration documents.
The Athletics body aims to eliminate age fraud to uphold the integrity of Kenyan athletics.
“Other countries must trust our systems. It’s about ensuring fairness in competition – kids should compete against kids, not adults. It’s better to lose without winning a medal than to win dishonestly,” AK emphasized.
This renewed commitment to integrity aims to restore global confidence in Kenya’s athletics and ensure fair competition for all participants.
