Rosa E Associati manages many of the finest athletes in athletics and road running in the world. Gabriela Rosa coaches many of the athletes and Federico Rosa, one of Gabriela's sons, manages the athletes. Jemima Sumgong is one of Rosa's athletes.
Jemima Sumgong, photo by PhotoRun.net
I spoke with Federico Rosa when he represented Rita Jeptoo. I did much research after Jeptoo's positive test, I came to the conclusion that the easy answer was not the reality. It is easy to accuse Rosa of being involved in doping, but that, I believe, it not the reality. I believe doping in Kenya, especially among women athletes is managed by doctors and pharmacists who understand Kenyan culture and know how to push women to do things they might not normally do. I believe that it is easy to blame agents from outside Kenya, They are perfect scapegoats.
The story of Jemima Sumgong puts much pressure on Federico Rosa. Rosa spent time in a Kenyan jail and defended himself in Kenyan court, and did not run away. He would be a complete idiot (and he is not) to support an athlete using doping, especially with his visibility.
More on this story to come. But for now, please read Rosa's statement, obviously translated from the mother tongue.
Jemima Sumgong note by ROSA E ASSOCIATI
If the facts were fully established, this has to be considered as a dramatic moment for Kenya and for our entire movement. The news has shocked us and we distance ourselves from what happened: as Rosa e Associati we've been following more than 2,000 Kenyan athletes over 27 years and the cases positive to controls were numerically insignificant and all in the last five years. This worries us a lot and highlights the uncontrolled spread of the phenomenon in Kenya over the recent years.
These episodes, especially the one that today concerns Jemima, grieve us a lot and push us to always do more in promoting the culture of legality and healthy sport competition for our athletes.
A case like this really hurts everyone: doping in Kenya has become a plague, because of unscrupulous Kenyans doctors who approach the athletes, brainwashing and subjecting them to illegal treatments. On this front, we are working closely with the Government and the Federation so that controls are intensified and those responsible are identified and prosecuted.
The case of Jemima is the proof that controls begin to work better: this is the only positive note in a situation that we consider serious and complex and that encourages us to redouble the efforts to fight doping in Kenya and the criminal organizations of doctors who ruin the lives and careers of these kids.
Therefore, Rosa e Associati dissociates itself from any unsportsmanlike conduct and is offering its full cooperation to the authorities, serenely awaiting the reconstruction of the facts concerning Jemima Sumgong.
Rosa e Associati rejects whatever conjecture concerning its involvement in the personal choices of the athletes it represents and will strongly protect its integrity whenever necessary.
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