NAIROBI, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno's Olympic dream ended on Saturday in Tokyo after he was provisionally suspended for failing a drug test in Japan hours before he was to run in the men's 100m heats, according to an official statement of the country's sports ministry.
Otieno, 27, was due to make his Olympics debut as one of the two Kenyans who qualified for Tokyo 2020 having run 10.05 at the east African country's trials in Nairobi in June.
"The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage has received an official report about the adverse analytical findings on samples collected from Mark Otieno, Kenya's 100m athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
"The Ministry is still waiting for the conclusion of an appeal filed by the athlete and underscores the Government's commitment in the fight against doping," a statement released by Joe Okudo, the Principal Secretary in the ministry, said on Saturday.
According to the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK), Otieno was informed of his failed urine test on his A-Sample collected on July 28 at the Olympics Village in Tokyo via a letter from the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The sprinter had been residing in Kurume City for the Team Kenya Pre-Games Training Camp from July 15 to 24 when he moved into the Olympic Village in Tokyo.
"The sprinter is fully aware of this communication and is in receipt of the letter from ITA. He has however denied any knowledge of the violation and has subsequently requested a re-analysis of his B urine sample.
"Our understanding is that this athlete is treated as innocent until we receive the results of his Sample B urine analysis," NOCK said in another statement. Enditem