People don´t want Kenya at Olympics – Kenyan sports minister Hassan Wario

Kenyan sports minister Hassan Wario has suggested the latest doping row surrounding his country’s athletes are part of a conspiracy against their hopes of competing at Rio 2016.

German broadcaster ARD and The Sunday Times published a video last week, showing Kenyan athletics manager Michael Rotich agreeing to provide advanced warning of drugs tests in return for a £10,000 bribe.

The allegations emerged just a day after the country was removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of “non-compliant” nations, and on the first full day of action at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Rotich was flown back to Kenya to face investigators at the behest of Wario.

“Our message is very clear,” Wario told the Daily Nation.

“We want to get to the bottom of this issue which is aimed at denting the image of Kenya in sports and he [Rotich] will be required to help officers on the ground with any information that he may have.”

However, Wario also struck a cautious tone about the timing of the video’s publication. It had been recorded in January and February this year.

“Our athletes are the most tested in the world,” he added.

“We believe that there are people who don’t want us to compete at the Olympics.

“We therefore have to draw a line and focus on what Kenya does best, which is winning gold.

“We will have to motivate our boys and girls so that we can prove to the world that we win clean and not because of other substances.”