A platform designed to modernize athlete management while strengthening the fight against doping has been launched in the country.
And speaking during the launch of Riadha Connect at the Eldoret Sports Club grounds in Uasin Gishu County on Wednesday, Kenyan athletics legends Eliud Kipchoge and Janet Jepkosgei urged athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders to embrace integrity and digital innovation for sports development.
The two champions said the platform marks a new chapter in Kenya’s athletics by promoting transparency, athlete welfare, and accountability through technology.
Kipchoge said Kenya’s future success would not only be measured by medals but also by the level of trust the country earns from the global sporting community.
“Every athlete runs two races—the race for performance and the race for trust. While medals and records are earned on the track, trust is built through integrity and the choices athletes make every day,” he said.
The marathon legend observed that Kenya continues to face scrutiny due to doping cases, noting that every clean athlete bears the burden of suspicion created by those who violate anti-doping rules. He, however, welcomed the progress made in reducing anti-doping rule violations.
Kipchoge urged athletes to take responsibility for every substance they consume, verify medicines and supplements before use, and reject shortcuts to success.
“Be careful whom you trust. Even salt resembles sugar. The most dangerous advice often comes disguised as help,” he cautioned.
He also challenged coaches, doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and athlete managers to prioritize athletes’ welfare above performance and create an environment where integrity thrives. “Protect the athlete before protecting performance,” he emphasized.
Former world 800-meter champion Janet Jepkosgei described Riadha Connect as a timely innovation that would transform athletics administration by digitizing athlete records and making services more accessible.
“We are living in a digital era. Athletics must also embrace technology because it improves efficiency, accountability, and transparency,” she said.
Jepkosgei said the platform would enable coaches to register and monitor athletes under their programmes, reducing disputes over athlete ownership while documenting athletes’ development from the grassroots to elite competition.
She added that the digital records would also enhance scholarship opportunities by allowing universities and international institutions to verify athletes’ training history and performance.
The former champion said the platform would strengthen safeguarding measures by protecting athletes from exploitation while improving accountability among coaches, managers, and support personnel.
She further urged coaches to continue nurturing talent on the track instead of rushing promising athletes into marathon running before they have fully developed.
Jepkosgei noted that Riadha Connect would also decentralize athletics services by enabling athletes to access approval letters, insurance documents, and other services electronically without travelling to Nairobi.
She called on Athletics Kenya to intensify awareness campaigns to ensure athletes understand the platform, particularly its role in meeting anti-doping requirements.
“If athletes can use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, they can also use this platform because it protects them, their coaches, and their managers,” she said.
The two athletics icons expressed confidence that Riadha Connect would help build a culture of clean sport, improve governance, and restore confidence in Kenyan athletics by combining integrity with digital transformation.
The event brought together Athletics Kenya (AK) President Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei; AK Youth Development Committee Chairman Barnaba Korir; Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) Board Chairperson Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Aphaxard Muthuri; officials from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the State Department for Sports, Athletics Kenya, and ADAK; as well as current and former athletes, coaches, athlete managers, and other stakeholders.
By Fredrick Maritim
