Sports Principal Secretary Eng. Peter Tum has called for collaboration from various stakeholders in the fight against doping.
While addressing Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (Sjak) during the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) seminar in Mombasa, Tum said that he came into the space to improve the sport in the country.
“Sports should be amplified in this country. A sporting nation is a very cohesive nation and sports contribute to the economy of a country. It promotes branding to the country, supposing we were to pay for the branding for this country when an athlete wins, it will be very expensive yet we get it free,” said Tum.
He said that government has handed kshs 500 million to Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to do testing and compliance to hold the stake holders to account and ensure that those in the sporting family are clean for their own betterment and future.
“The ministry is spending colossal money to ensure sports prowess in the country to support the institutions and leadership. I will encourage one thing as a ministry that we develop a means of ways of communication as journalists and the ministry. If something bad has been written, it taints the name of the ministry. If there is a take home, we should involve ourselves in communication,” said Tum.
He said the media has been reporting much on the doping issues, some misreported but journalists have the obligation to protect the image of the nation and as a ministry to synergize the sports.
“Going forward as the ministry will be able to help in testing to ensure that people are encouraged not to dope again. We are collaborating with journalists to promote sports in talent identification, nurturing and monetizing so that our sporting legends don’t go unrecognized. We are working on the policies of rewards to sell the images of this country,” said Tum.
On his part the Adak chairman Daniel Makdwall said that as the institution they have partnered with the journalists to help in fight against doping.
“We are a team with the objective to provide quality information. We are not fighting each other but we are partners on this journey. This is not you versus us but the journey of success belongs to us. If we have a situation where our athletes win then waiting to celebrate later is not good at all,” said Makdwall.
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