Storm in Kenyan training camp over more doping allegations

Nairobi, May 19 : Italian athletes management company Rosa Associati on Friday raised a storm claiming that three training partners of suspended Olympic marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong may be under probe for failing dope test.

Rosa Associati director Federico Rosa said he has called in Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) to help in the probe. All the four athletes were being managed by Rosa's firm, reports Xinhua news agency.

The four are Sumgong, who was banned after his out of competition test returned positive for banned blood booster EPO (Erythropoietin), Paris Marathon champion Purity Rionoripo, Tokyo Marathon winner Sarah Chepchirchir and Visiline Jepkesho.

Three years ago, another athlete from the camp Rita Jeptoo, winner of Chicago and Boston marathons, was banned after he failed a dope test, while male long distance runner Mathew Kisorio who served a two-year ban for doping said his trainers encouraged them to take banned substances.

Rosa was temporarily suspended by Athletics Kenya and sued for abetting doping, but the case was dropped by the Kenyan high court.

His latest revelation will spin around the federation and the athletics family who are yet to come to terms with the ban of Sumgong.

Speaking to Kenyan journalists, Rosa said he was travelling to Nairobi to help in the investigation. However, Adak chief executive officer Japheth Rugut said they were not investigating any other case involving doping apart from Sumgong's.

Athletics Kenya vice president Paul Mutwi also said they would call in the Italian to shed more lights on the allegations and seek test to be done on the athletes concerned.