Other Sports
NIGERIAN SPORTS TOP OFFICIAL, ADESOLA TASKS SPORTS FEDERATIONS PRESIDENTS ON ANTI DOPING COMPLIANCE
The Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports Olusade Adesola has urged National Sports Federations to organize anti-doping information and education activities for their Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel including Technical Directors, Coaches, Medical Personnel as preventive measures to curtail doping issues in Nigeria’s sports.
Adesola gave the charge at the opening of a 2-day Anti-Doping Stakeholders Seminar for Presidents, Secretaries and Technical Directors of National Sports Federations holding at Bolton White Hotel Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary said that that the seminar which is a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) is aimed at fighting doping in sports and implement a Code compliant National Anti-Doping Program.
“This Seminar is significant as it highlights the commitment of the Ministry and the NADC to reposition Nigeria’s National Anti-Doping Program and sustain the gains of efforts made in securing Nigeria’s early re-instatement by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)as a Code compliant signatory in February this year.
“It is on this premise that this seminar is organized to ensure that issues of anti-doping are brought to bear and key stakeholders who form the core of athletes’ support personnel are equipped with relevant and necessary anti-doping knowledge that will enable them to understand their responsibilities and effectively play their role in the fight against doping in sports.”
Adesola also enumerated efforts being made to stamp Doping out of sports in Nigeria, adding that more needed to be done to educate athletes and create awareness on anti-doping.
“The WADA Code provides guide that an effective National Anti-Doping Program is supported by all stakeholders ably understanding their responsibilities and playing their roles in the scheme of activities. In effective, anti-doping information and education is a collective responsibility and the clarion call is that Federations must take the cue to take up this responsibility”.
He however pledged the Ministry’s resolve to continue its collaboration with the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) to organize education and information initiatives for various categories of stakeholders.
Papers were presented on topical anti-doping issues including ‘Health Consequences of Doping: Managing Risks of Nutritional Supplements’, ‘Anti-Doping Rules Violation and Result Management Process’, ‘Athletes Registered Testing Pool and Whereabouts’,
‘Prohibited Substances and Methods and the TUE Process’, ‘Anti-Doping Roles and Responsibilities’ and ‘Doping Control Process and Testing’.
The seminar ends on Friday with the Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung presiding over a meeting with Presidents, Secretaries and Technical Directors of all the Sports Federations to brainstorm on ongoing preparations for the African Games in Morocco later in the year.
The stage is set for the 3rd National Para Games, Nigeria’s largest and most prestigious para sports event, scheduled to hold from March 26 to April 3, 2026, in Abuja.
For nine days, the nation’s capital will host more than 3,000 athletes representing all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, competing across 15 different sports in what promises to be a vibrant celebration of resilience, excellence and inclusion. Organisers say champions will emerge, records will tumble, and new chapters will be written in Nigeria’s para sports history.
The Games are being organised by the National Sports Commission, which describes the event as a critical platform for talent discovery, national unity and the advancement of para sports development across the country.
Since its inception, the National Para Games has evolved into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sporting calendar, spotlighting the remarkable abilities of athletes living with disabilities while reinforcing the country’s commitment to inclusive participation in sports.
Officials say the 2026 edition will surpass previous outings in scale, organisation and competitive intensity. With participation confirmed from every state of the federation and the FCT, the Games are expected to reveal the depth of talent spread nationwide and provide a pathway for standout performers to progress to continental and global competitions.
In a significant boost to preparations, the National Youth Service Corps has partnered with the Commission by releasing its Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, to serve as the official Games Village. The facility will accommodate athletes and officials throughout the competition, offering a secure and community-focused environment designed to foster camaraderie and peak performance.
The collaboration reflects a broader inter-agency commitment to empowering young Nigerians and promoting social integration through sport. It also underscores growing national recognition of para athletes as integral contributors to Nigeria’s sporting success.
With anticipation building and logistics nearing completion, Abuja is poised to welcome thousands of competitors and supporters for what promises to be a defining celebration of courage, competition and collective pride.
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By Keresifon Essien
Akwa Ibom State will parade a strong contingent of about 280 athletes and 44 officials at the 2026 Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), scheduled to hold in Benin City, Edo State, from February 20 to 28.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Curator of Keresy Sports Museum (KSM), Keresifon Essien, noting that Team Akwa Ibom will compete in 16 sporting events at the regional multi-sports fiesta.
According to Bassey, the sports in which the state will feature include football, basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis, badminton, lawn tennis, boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, swimming and chess.
To ensure optimal preparation, the state government has constituted a five-man State Liaison Committee to oversee arrangements for the festival. The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey.
Other members of the committee are Coach Catherine Ewa Ekuta, Head of Technical; Guinness World Record holder George Essien; Edidiong Stephen, a member; and Mfon Bassey, who serves as Secretary.
Bassey explained that the committee has been mandated to fine-tune all preparations for the festival, beginning with the state trials scheduled for this weekend, and to ensure that the contingent arrives in Benin City fully prepared and ready to project Akwa Ibom State positively at the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
He expressed confidence that with proper planning and early preparations, Team Akwa Ibom will make a strong impression when the festival proper begins.
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Team Nigeria on Monday afternoon departed the country for Cairo, Egypt, where they will compete in the 2025 World Karate Championship scheduled for November 27–30.
The nation will be represented by five outstanding athletes who have demonstrated exceptional discipline, consistency, and competitive grit in their buildup to the global event. The team is made up of:
- Loveth Ngozi Okoro – Kumite -50kg
- Godfirst Orie Ukoha-Sampson – Kumite -55kg
- Constance Tamunodiepreye Abode – Kumite -61kg
- Ujunwa Caroline Nwankwo – Kumite +68kg
- Oluwaseun Olorunbe – Male Kata
The athletes, who have undergone intense preparations, will be led by coach Efezino Akpotu, while Olusegun Abode serves as the leader of delegation.
Four members of the squad—Ngozi, Godfirst, Constance, and Ujunwa—are already well-known names on the domestic circuit. They are regular contenders at the Zainab Saleh International Female Open Karate Championship, an annual tournament founded by Hajiya Zainab Saleh, a Board Member of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN). The championship has been widely recognised for empowering and developing female karatekas across the country.
Ahead of the team’s participation, the Board of the KFN expressed confidence in the athletes’ ability to deliver strong performances on the world stage.
However, it also appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) for urgent financial support to offset debts incurred in ensuring Nigeria’s participation in the championship.
According to the federation, the World Karate Championship falls under the mandate of the NSC, and timely intervention is necessary to stabilise the federation’s operations after securing the team’s trip to Cairo.
Team Nigeria will now focus on making a strong impact as they join the world’s best karatekas in Egypt later this week.
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