Athletics
GAC Motors Backs African Athletics Championships
The dream of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Asaba 2018 CAA African Senior Athletics Championships to organize a championship where the host city, Asaba, and Delta State Government will not have to bear hundred percent of the costs has started yielding fruits.
GAC Motors, one of China’s largest automakers, has backed the championships with a sponsorship deal worth N800 million.
In a statement signed by Olukayode Thomas, Head Media and Publicity of the LOC Asaba 2018 CAA African Senior Athletics Championships, the deal was brokered by Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited.
The company is the championships’ Official Consultant and Marketer. Hon. Olopade, who is also a member of the LOC, revealed that GAC Motors is the first sponsor to back the Asaba CAA African Senior Championships slated for next summer.
Said Olopade, “Once the management of GAC Motors realized that the main beneficiary of the championships will be youths from Nigeria and other parts of Africa, they quickly keyed into it and they are giving support worth N800m.
“This is massive. They are the first organization to back the project. This is sign that we will be able to fulfil our promise that we will have championships whose cost will not be borne by the host city and Delta State Government alone but also by Corporate Nigeria’’
Olopade urged other members of Corporate Nigeria to emulate GAC Motors and back the Asaba 2018 Championships.
He also urged Nigerians, especially the working class, to patronize GAC Motors, a youth-friendly company so that they can do more for Nigerian youths, “I urge Nigerians to patronize their cars which are pocket-friendly, fuel efficient and beautiful.
“Our patronage will enable them to do more for Nigerians not only in athletics but also in football and the entertainment industry which they have invested heavily in and others’’.
Olopade said there are opportunities for other brands who intend to be part of the championships
“The 2018 edition of CAA African Athletics Championships also serve as trials for the highly competitive and lucrative 2018 IAAF World Cup in Athletics, so the cream de la cream of African athletes and global leaders of the sport including the IAAF President Seb Coe and others athletics great will be in Asaba, this guarantees huge exposure for top brands. There are also many lead up activities and post championships activities that guarantee continuous mileage and exposure”.
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.
The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.
Here is the full statement of CAS.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by
World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).
Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.
The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.
In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month
period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.
The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.
Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.
She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.
The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.
The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.
CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”
Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.
She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.
World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.
An elated Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan has thanked God for her success in an appeal filled against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the World Athletics.
Had the appeal been upheld, ,Amusan would have has to miss the Paris 2024 Olymoics.
“It’s ALL GOD” Amusan said in an Instagram post alongside the court’s announcement.
Amusan, who broke the world record during her semi-final race at the 2022 world championships, is a hot favourite in her signature event at the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.
World Athletics and WADA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
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