adminYAOUNDE (AFP) — The president of the Confederation of African Athletics, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, who is also the vice president of the International Association of Athletics Association, has expressed sadness in the growing practice of doping amongst African athletes. Speaking from Yaounde in Cameroon, Kalkaba cautioned that if not nipped in the bud, the practice could well spread like a wild fire.
“So, we need to protect those athletes who are not part of this despicable practice. The abusers are in fact a minority and definitely not the exaggeration portrayed by overseas media.
“We need protection from our own African media when and where overseas media distort facts or exaggerate the truth. But we are not asking African media to condone doping and any other wrong doing.
“But it’s a fact that the majority of African athletes are being tainted by a minority, and we need to protect that. It’s sad that there are serious allegations and disciplinary actions against some either in Ethiopia, Kenya and Morocco, for example by the IAAF,” he said.
The president said the CAA currently has no financial capacity to create its only laboratories, which it can equip in order to carry out its own doping tests on the continent.
As it stands, he said, the Confederation is left with no options but to go into an intensive education drive across the continent where there will be emphasis on the wide ranging effects of using forbidden and banned substances to enhance performance.
“We can’t expect overseas media to protect African Athletes when they are largely the ones who distort factual information about this continent in the first place.
“When the world competed in Beijing last year, the media seem to entirely miss that it was Africa who finished first overall, with superb performances from the Kenyans.
“The majority of our African media just let these distortions from overseas and some of our own media in Africa even lazily repeat what is being said without separating truth from fiction,” argued Kalkaba.
He called on Africans to take charge of their own destiny, saying that the CAA longs for the day when our athletes train in Africa and under the eye of African coaches and trainers.
The CAA chief said Africans know Africans better, pointing out that our African athletes are at the mercy of non-African coaches and trainers, which means their approach does not reflect African athletics.
“We are also in talks with the African Union to see how best they can also assist CAA in strengthening our federations, coaches and athletes at all times.”
Online Reporter