Other Sports
South Africa, Kazakhstan Lose WADA Licence
The accreditation of two laboratories based in Kazakhstan and South Africa has been revoked by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The Athletes’ Anti-Doping Laboratory in Almaty and the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) in Bloemfontein had both been provisionally suspended last year by the agency, meaning neither could carry out testing.
This was due to “non-compliance with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL)”.
The Kazakhstani laboratory was initially given a four-month suspension in June 2016 before this was extended to a year.
SADoCoL’s ban, originally set at five months in May 2016, was also increased. Now, following reviews from WADA’S Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG), it has been determined that neither site have made the necessary improvements needed to gain reinstatement.
Along with this, WADA decided that both laboratories should have their accreditations removed.
The result of this is that there are now no accredited laboratories in Africa, while the number in Asia drops to six.
“At the end of these extended suspension periods, WADA’s LabEG considered that neither Laboratory had satisfactorily addressed the outstanding non-conformities with the ISL,” a WADA statement said.
“Accordingly, the LabEG reported the cases to the WADA Disciplinary Committee, which is constituted to review such cases and issue recommendations.
“Consequently, recommendations were made to the Executive Committee, which decided that both Laboratories’ WADA accreditation should be revoked.”
Both laboratories have until July 20 to file appeals against the decision. In statement published by the University of the Free State (UFS), where SADoCoL is based, laboratory bosses claimed they are still permitted to analyse blood samples for the Athlete Biological Passport
They also claimed it “does not impact” testing of urine samples by the South African Institute of Drug-free Sport, which will be done by other WADA accredited venues.
The statement also said that blood samples will continue to be tested at SADoCoL. Laboratory director Dr Marthinus van der Merwe said they will re-apply for accreditation after spending a lot of time trying to prevent the revocation.
“In this period, the laboratory worked diligently to realise all of these requirements and according to an inspection team from the WADA LabEG, who visited the laboratory in February 2017, much has been done and the Laboratory is in a much better state than it was before the suspension in May 2016,” he said.
“However, there were certain aspects of these requirements that the laboratory could not achieve within the time-frame stipulated by WADA and therefore the organization is bound by its rules and regulations to now revoke the accreditation status of the laboratory.
“Since much effort and resources have been invested in the laboratory in the last two years, the management of SADoCoL together with senior leadership of the UFS decided to go ahead and finalise all development in order to re-apply for WADA accreditation.”
Online publication, insidethegames.biz has contacted Athletes’ Anti-Doping Laboratory for comment.
Three other laboratories based in Portuguese capital Lisbon, Bogota in Colombia and Mexico City are also currently serving suspensions by WADA.
On June 20, a partial three-month suspension was handed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Olympic Analytical Laboratory, preventing the site to report any adverse analytical findings for the glucocorticoids prednisolone and ‘prednisone and the anabolic steroids boldenone and boldione.
However, the laboratory, situated about three miles from the main UCLA campus, is allowed to carry out other tests during this time period.
Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has unveiled a full-size stadium and an Olympic-size 50-metre swimming pool at the Peaceville International Academy, located within the Redemption City of God, Ogun State.
The esteemed cleric was accompanied by his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, along with top church leaders including Pastor Joseph Obayemi; RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, and the management of Peaceville International Academy led by Head of School Dolapo Fatoki.
The event was graced by several board members of the school, including Leke Adeoye, Olugbenga Omojola, Ayoola Jolayemi, Noah Osato, and Mrs Busola Ogunsiji.
Reflecting on his past, Pastor Adeboye lamented the lack of such facilities during his university days and the general scarcity of quality sports amenities across the country.
“This kind of well-grassed stadium and serene environment were not available in universities during our time. Remarkably, God has made this possible in a secondary school, showing that He is on our side,” he remarked.
He offered prayers for those who contributed to the realization of these facilities and expressed his vision for the school to become a global brand.
In her welcome address, Pastor Mrs. Adeboye, the founder of the college, described the institution as a legacy made possible by God’s support.
She thanked her husband for his unwavering support in making the school a reality and emphasized the importance of the sports facilities in moulding Godly champions.
The unveiling ceremony also featured a novelty match to celebrate Pastor Adeboye’s 83rd birthday, with him performing the ceremonial kick-off for the match between Redemption City FC and Region 1 FC. The home team triumphed with a 4-0 victory.
Head of School Dolapo Fatoki highlighted that the facilities would be judiciously used to enhance the physical well-being of students and position the school as a hub for sports development in Ogun State and Nigeria.
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Championship promotion chasers Burnley clocked up 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal as they drew 0-0 at Preston North End on Saturday to stay third in the table.
It was Burnley’s 24th Championship clean sheet of the season and their 11th in a row — a new English second-tier record.
In 33 Championship games their miserly defence has been breached only nine times and no opposition player has scored against them in the league since Dec. 21.
Burnley keeper James Trafford has faced only 21 shots on target in achieving his 11 successive clean sheets — including two penalties which he saved against Sunderland.
Scott Parker’s side need just one more clean sheet to match the Championship record of Queen’s Park Rangers in 2010-11.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on. We’re proud of being hard to beat and if you can’t win games, don’t lose them,” Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen told the club’s website.
“We come away with a point thanks to that defensive record and being solid again here at a tough place.”
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A UK-based sports recycling charity, Lord’s Taverners has donated sports kits and equipment worth over 30 million naira to the CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development) Initiative.
The donated kits and equipment weighed 998 kilograms. It is not the first time such a donation was made.
It would be recalled that since 2019, this is the fifth batch of sports kit donations that Lord’s Taverners have donated to CSED Initiative.
In total, CSED Initiative has received sports kits weighing over three thousand kilogrammes from Lord’s Taverners.
Most of this batch of donated sports kit items are for cricket, netball, badminton, football, casual sportswear and tracksuits.
Some of the prominent institutions that have benefitted from the kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners in the past are Edo State Cricket Association, the cricket team of ABU Zaria, the cricket team of IDPs Uhogua, Cameroonian refugees in Ogoja (Cross River State).
Furthermore, some selected schools in Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Taraba States have benefitted from the free cricket kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners to CSED Initiative.
In a recent email correspondence between a Trustee of CSED Initiative, a Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners, a representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) acknowledged the role the kits that Lord’s Taverners donated to CSED Initiative played in the development of some of the cricketers who recently played in the Nigerian female cricket team at the recently completed T20, U-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.
Nine out of these fifteen cricketers are players from Edo State whose cricket Association received 250 kilogrammes of donated cricket kits from CSED Initiative in April 2019.
Furthermore, CSED has also donated cricket items to a cricket project that has supported the development of the two cricketers from Akwa Ibom State who featured for Nigeria in the Malaysian tournament.
During an interview with sports reporters, a representative of CSED Initiative stated that the new batch of donated equipment from Lord’s Taverners will enable them to empower three thousand children and youths in respect of supporting some of their basic sports kit needs. The donated kits will enable CSED Initiative to train three hundred P.E. Teachers in 2025. “So, it is going to be a win-win situation for grassroots sports.”
However, CSED Initiative have been informed that the Lord’s Taverners sports kits recycling project is going to close in March 2025, as a result of financial constraint. The National Coordinator of CSED Initiative stated that this news was a huge shock to them, and the sports recycling community all over the world.
Lord’s Taverners has a global base of sports for change NGOs that they have supported in the past few decades. Though Lord’s Taverners was mainly set up as a cricket charity, it has over the years supported other sports at the grassroots level.
“We in CSED Initiative will forever remain grateful for the support we have received from Lord’s Taverners. Especially in respect of the sport of netball.
They have supported us with balls, bibs, netball jerseys, T-shirts and skirts.
These donated netball kits gave us the courage to strive to revive the game of netball in Nigeria through our ongoing: “Project 2027” drive where we have trained and equipped more than three hundred and seventy P.E. Teachers and community leaders.”
While receiving the donated items in their Niger Delta base, the National Coordinator of CSED Initiative assured Dave Pemberton (Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners) that the sports kits will be distributed for free to selected schools and vulnerable community groups (IDPs and asylum seekers/refugees) they currently work with, as well as new sets of schools and communities who will be expected to put the donated kit into good use.
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