The National Sports Commission (NSC), has announced that it disqualified 6 athletes from participating in the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged “Gateway Games.”
The Director General (DG) of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, disclosed this to Newsmen on Tuesday, that the disqualification is related to anti-doping issues.
He cautioned that registered athletes with anti-doping issues cannot compete for scoring medals at the ongoing Gateway Games.
The NSC made it clear that the decision was arrived at a strategic joint meeting of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Games on Monday.
The Commission said the position is in line with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
Olopade charged all the participating States to take note of this and reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every athlete compete very clean.
“The issue of anti-doping is one important mandate of the Commission to ensure that Nigeria is devoid of drugs problems at both domestic and international competitions.
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“We are happy now that the National anti-doping law has finally been passed by our sports loving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ripple effect of such a landmark fear must swiftly be felt in our sports starting with the current National Sports Festival”, he stated.
The disqualified athletes are; Marcus Okon representing Akwa Ibom State in Para Athletics, Ayabeke Opeyemi, representing Bayelsa State in Gymnastics, Shukurat Kareem representing Lagos State in Kick-boxing and Omole Dolapo Joshua representing, Bayelsa State in Kick-boxing.
Others are; Ogunsemilore Cynthia representing Bayelsa State in Kick-boxing and Animashaun Sofia representing Lagos state in Para Powerlifting.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
