Tunde Omoniyi
Six athletes has been barred from participating in the ongoing National Sports Festival Over anti doping issues.
This was stated by the National Sports Commission (NSC), stating that the affected athletes would not compete for medals at the games.
The commission disclosed this in a statement signed by the Director of Press, Kehinde Ajayimade, and made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
It said the decision was in line with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
It cautioned that registered athletes with anti-doping issues would not compete for medals at the ongoing festival, tagged ‘Gateway Games 2024’.
Investigator news reports that the verdict was handed down after a strategic joint meeting of the Main Organising Committee and the Local Organising Committee of the games on Monday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
NSC’s Director-General, Bukola Olopade, charged all the participating states to ensure that every athlete competes clean.
“The issue of antidoping is one important mandate of the Commission to ensure that Nigeria is devoid of drug problems at both domestic and international competitions.
“We are happy now that the national antidoping law has finally been passed by our sports-loving President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the ripple effect of such a landmark feat must swiftly be felt in our sports, starting with the current sports festival,” he stated.
The NSF, tagged Gateway Games 2024, was declared open in Ogun State on Sunday by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
It will be recalled that the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, promised a reward of ₦2.5 million for each gold medal won by the state’s athletes at the sports festival, which kicked off on Sunday in the state.
The governor also promised the sum of ₦1.5 million and ₦1 million for each silver and bronze medal, respectively, won at the competition.
