Athletics
COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2018: ATHLETES INTENSIFY TRAINING IN ABUJA, LAGOS AND PH
While most Nigerian citizens are in festive mood soaking the enjoyment of Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has revealed that athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games are in various camps training for the competitions.
The Commonwealth Games are billed for April 2018. The Ministry of Youth and Sports began its first phase of camping on December 17 in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.
Boxers and players in table tennis and para table tennis are camping in Lagos, the weightlifters are in Abuja while Port Harcourt is hosting athletics and para pthletics.
Speaking on activities at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Gymnasium where the boxers are currently training, the camp Commandant Dr Segun Akinlotan said that a total of 32 boxers and four coaches led by Tony Konyegwachie will camp till January 16, 2018 for the first phase.
According to Akinlotan, the boxers are in high spirit. “The boxers and officials are in high spirit. Training kit including track suits, T-shirts, slippers and knickers have been supplied to the boxers. Feeding is okay and the atmosphere is generally conducive.
“By the end of the first phase of camping, the boxers will be reduced to 16 as the 2nd phase is billed to start from January 17th to 16th February 2018.”
Elsewhere at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Yaba Lagos, 16 players including 8 para table tennis players, 8 able players and 14 officials are camped.
Camp Commandant Ms Mbora Ikana Mbora said the players train twice daily at the Knock-up hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos and are well kitted for training.
“Feeding is adequate and timely as supervised by the Medical team. Haruna Quadri and two other para players Faith Bazuaye and Tope Ogunsanya have already qualified for the games. We are targeting a podium appearance”, Mbora said.
In Abuja, a total of 12 Weightlifters comprising seven female and five male are camping at Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.
The Camp Chaperone Mrs Chinedu Ezeala said that the lifters have shown great sense of responsibility and discipline.
“The weightlifters have obeyed camp rules to the latter and have displayed a great sense of responsibility. We want to ensure a podium performance at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia,” Ezeala stated.
The IAAF High Performance Center at the University of Port Harcourt is hosting 40 track and field athletes and nine Para athletes.
Camp Commandant and Assistant Director Elite Athletes Mrs Maria Wophill said athletes enjoyed a peaceful celebration on Christmas Day.
“We celebrated Christmas in camp and it was peaceful. There are no complaints on feeding.”
Mrs Wophill spoke further on preparations to get the best athletes for the Commonwealth Games
“Our first trial comes up on January 15, 2018. It will be an open trial as athletes who are not in camp will be allowed to fight for qualification.
The second Phase of camping will commence immediately after the trials as we expect changes in times and performance.
Facilities here are of high standards so we also expect good performances from the athletes,” Wophil said.
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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