Athletics
DALUNG ASSURES ON AFRICAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Federal government is committed to hosting and providing a safe environment for the African Senior Athletics Championship billed for Asaba, Delta state in August next year.
Solomon Dalung, the Minister of Youth and Sports made the remark when the Local Organising Committee paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
He said that other arms of security will be involved to compliment efforts of the state government during the games.
“Nigeria is committed to hosting and providing a safe and secure environment to host Africa and the world and we will compliment the efforts of the state government.
“Delta is a coastal city and therefore will require more of marine security arrangements. We will engage the Chief of Defence staff for very good complementary support.”
He thanked the Governor of Delta State Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for his support to sports development in the country and called on other sports governors to emulate Delta state government.
“We have many Sports Federations and nothing stops each state Government from adopting a sport, federation or games. Delta State assisted us with the National Youth Games. Rivers state will host the African Wrestling Championship and Bayelsa has also hosted Wrestling in the past.”
Dalung stated that hosting of the African Athletics Championship in Asaba will change the economic fortunes of the state.
“Economy of Delta and Nigeria will not remain the same. We are going to host 54 countries. Tourism will be strengthened and there will be creation of employment for the youths.
“There will be building of networks of relationships that will be sustainable. The economy of the state and Nigeria will be strengthened through the influx of people and movement of wealth and resources from one place to the other. It may be challenging initially but it will pay to host” Dalung said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the LOC Chief Solomon Ogba briefed the Minister on how far the LOC has gone in its preparations.
“The state government has released N1.9b because we want to host the best games in Africa.
The Governor has given us 10 Marcopolo buses to refurbish. We have concluded arrangements with GAC Motors to give us 100 Protocol vehicles for our top dignitaries. The Governor will sponsor three people heading transport, accommodation and accreditation to the Commonwealth Games to understudy them and see how it’s done.
“We need 820 rooms but we have secured 1200 rooms. We have also set up a technical committee for the competition headed by the Technical committee of the federation to ensure a good outing at the Games”.
Delivery date for the CAA Games is in February while the Games hold in August 2018.
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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