Former Kenya athletics chief banned 10 years for corruption

Kenya's former athletics team manager Michael Rotich has been banned for 10 years for agreeing to provide advance notice to athletes of doping tests in exchange for money, the IAAF announced Wednesday.

Rotich was exposed by two undercover journalists from the Sunday Times in an article published in August 2016 and was sent home in disgrace from the Olympic Games in Rio which were under way at the time.

He was also provisionally banned by the IAAF from his coaching job.

In a statement Wednesday an IAAF's Ethics Board panel said Rotich had offered to warn athletes of impending tests so they could flush doping substances from their system in order to circumvent tests.

He also offered to provide excuses which athletes could use to avoid being penalised for missing tests.

"The panel reiterates that the charges which it has found to be established are serious," the statement said.

"The conduct of Major Rotich was dishonest and corrupt. He sought to undermine anti-doping controls and to obtain a personal financial benefit in doing so."