PARIS – Kenyan athletes are being assisted in covering up doping offences by a “medically savvy operation”, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday after an investigation revealed similar falsified documents in two recent cases.

Marathon runner Betty Lempus was given a five-year doping ban in January, while Eglay Nalyanya was suspended for eight years on Tuesday.

“Nalyanya and Lempus told the AIU they received intramuscular injections while being treated at the same Kenyan hospital and produced falsified medical documents to support their respective claims,” the AIU said in a statement.

“In both instances, AIU investigations – in collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya – discovered the documents were false; that the doctors listed were fictitious; and that neither athlete had received the respective injection... The falsified documents in the two cases showed distinctive likenesses.”

The AIU said it believes Kenyan athletes are “being assisted by a person or persons, including someone with considerable medical knowledge”.

“It is clear doping in Kenya is increasingly well organised and these cases underline the reality that medically experienced personnel are involved. This is a serious threat to our sport,” said AIU chairman David Howman.

Meanwhile, former light-welterweight boxing world champion Amir Khan said he would “never cheat” after being handed a two-year ban from all sport for testing positive for a prohibited substance.

UK Anti-Doping said on Tuesday that the 36-year-old tested positive for the anabolic agent ostarine following his loss to Kell Brook in Manchester in February 2022.

Khan, who announced his retirement last May, accepted a violation of anti-doping rules but said he had not intentionally ingested the substance, an argument accepted by an independent panel.

“I would never cheat. I’m a retired fighter,” he told Sky News.

“I’ve got a two-year ban now, which is quite strange and funny that they banned me. I’ve already retired. I’ve no comeback plans at all.”

He was first notified of his own positive result in April 2022 and given a provisional suspension, with charges following in July after he had announced his retirement with a 34-6 professional record.

Following the hearing in January 2023, the National Anti-Doping Panel accepted Khan’s submission he had not taken the substance intentionally but imposed the ban on the basis of strict liability.

Ostarine is a drug designed to have similar effects to testosterone.

“You can see by my performance against Kell Brook wasn’t the best. I lost the fight. If I went in there and knocked Kell Brook out, it’s different,” added Khan, who became a household name in Britain after claiming a silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, aged just 17.

“I’ve never cheated in my life. I’m the one that wanted testing on that fight.

“Also, the amount that was in my system could have been by shaking people’s hands.

“I don’t know the drug that was in my system.”

The ban is deemed to have commenced on April 6, 2022, when his provisional suspension was imposed, and will expire on April 5, 2024. AFP