The 2015 Africa 10,000metres champion Alice Aprot will serve a four years ban for a doping offence after Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) upheld Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK)’s sanction.
ADAK had filed an application at the SDT on August 12, 2022, bringing charges against Aprot whom they had busted for the presence of the prohibited Letrozole Metabolite Methanol in her urine.
ADAK wanted the athlete suspended for four years as provided by the ADAK Anti-Doping Rules, Article 10.2.2 and her achievements in that period disqualified.
“The Applicant contended that the Tribunal has jurisdiction to entertain the matter under Sections 55, 58 and 59 of the Sports Act and sections 31 and 32 of the Anti-Doping Act,” said the ruling delivered on Monday.
Aprot filed her defence on October 5, last year, denying the charges saying it wasn’t intentional.
Aprot stated that on May 28, last year at training camp, she experienced sharp breast pains and immediately rushed to the nearest pharmacy to get treated.
Aprot explained to the pharmacist that she was an athlete and she is not to be administered any medication that contains any prohibited substance.
Aprot said that she did not take the banned substances knowingly or intentionally and wished to be forgiven.
Aprot claimed that she was in pain and did not bother to check whether the prescribed medicine from the pharmacy had illegal substances, which should be a normal procedure for an athlete.
In the ruling signed by Elynah Shiveka, the deputy chairperson of SDT and members, Allan Mola and Gabriel Ouko, athletes bear the ultimate responsibility to ensure that they understand what doping is all about.
“These dictates are well captured in the Code. Article 2 of the WADC states that athletes or other persons shall be responsible for knowing what constitutes an anti-Doping rule violation and the substances and methods which have been included on the prohibited list,” said the ruling.
SDT noted Aprot failed to establish origin and how the prohibited substance entered her body hence culpable.
Aprot will serve a ban of four years starting July 14, 2022 with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medal, points and prizes.
Aprot was among 20 sportsmen and women that ADAK provisionally suspended for doping rules violation early January this year.
Over 40 Kenyan athletes were suspended for various doping offences last year.
