THE menace of doping has tainted the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State. At least 14 athletes have tested positive for banned substances. These athletes were selected from the 10,000 participants registered from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Bukola Olopade, Chairman of the Main Organising Committee and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, announced that the affected athletes were expelled, and their states were fined. The Gateway Games, which started on May 16, will conclude on May 30.
Some states denied that the athletes were part of their contingents, but the NSC DG confirmed their registration.
Among the six athletes initially disqualified were boxers Cynthia Ogunsemilore and Dolapo Omole. Ogunsemilore, a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and All African Games champion, tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic, in an out-of-competition test ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ogunsemilore and Omole were registered to represent Bayelsa State in kickboxing despite their boxing bans.
Other banned athletes include Marcus Okon (Akwa Ibom, para-athletics), Ayabeke Opeyemi (Bayelsa, gymnastics), Kareem Shukurat (Lagos, kickboxing), and Animashaun Sofia (Lagos, para-powerlifting).
The NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, believes that the recently signed World Anti-Doping Bill into Nigerian law will decisively tackle doping issues.
The Act establishes the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre, making Nigeria the second African country with such a laboratory, expected to conduct at least 1,500 tests annually. Once operational, the lab is expected to generate significant revenue for Nigeria.
Olopade emphasised that the law would promote athlete education and awareness campaigns, supporting drug testing both in and out of competition.
It will also earn Nigeria respect from the International Olympic Committee, World Anti-Doping Agency, and UNESCO, marking the country as compliant and potentially ending sanctions and fines.
Doping is a global issue, but Nigeria has a troubled history with it.
At the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India in 2010, Nigeria won a record 12 gold medals, but this achievement was tarnished by doping cases involving top athletes, such as Damola Osayomi, Sade Abughan and 110m hurdler Samuel Okon. Osayomi was stripped of her 100m women’s gold, while Abughan was stripped of the two silver medals she won in the women’s 400m flat and relay.
In 2021, Enyimba United captain Oladapo Augustine was banned for a year for using Prednisolone/Prednisone, an anti-inflammation drug.
Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 10 Nigerian athletes were barred for doping violations detected by WADA.
Star athlete Blessing Okagbare was banned from the Tokyo Olympics 100m women’s semifinals for using a growth hormone.
Para-powerlifting athlete Kafilat Almaruf received a three-year ban for doping in 2021.
After serving a four-year drugs ban, Chioma Ajunwa became the first Nigerian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump at Atlanta ’96.
Ajunwa said, “Today in Nigeria, drugs are gradually becoming a norm. Almost everybody is now doing it, and it is not good for society. We lose thousands of lives to this menace, which is why it is expedient that all hands should be on deck to fight this menace.”
Other Nigerian athletes caught for doping include Mary Onyali, Desmond and David Ezinwa, and Charity Opara. Also in the book were Tosin Adeloye, Vivian Chukwuemeka, Clement Chukwu, Innocent Asonze, Daniel Effiong, Blessed Udoh and Deborah Odeyemi.
Corruption has been blamed for doping proliferation, with officials accused of accepting bribes to overlook or aid violations.
To stem the practice, the Nigerian anti-doping committee has launched a website providing information and warnings about doping and supplement use.
This is a positive step toward eradicating doping in Nigerian sports.
