Athletics
CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS TRAIL ELECTION OF 1ST IAAF FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT
Ximena Restrepo was chosen as the first female vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Wednesday but the election was overshadowed by the late decision to prevent the United Arab Emirates’ Ahmed Al Kamali from standing.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced he had been suspended for a “potential violation of the IAAF Candidacy Rules and Integrity Code of Conduct”.
The decision to ban Al Kamali, President of the UAE Athletics Federation and an attorney at law, from standing for vice-president and the IAAF Council was taken so late that he had already arrived here for the vote and officials had to remove his accreditation from him.
It is believed that the AIU had been investigating allegations of corruption against Al Kamali for several weeks and interviewed him in the Qatari capital last night.
Sebastian Coe, himself re-elected for a second term as IAAF President today, claimed that he did not find out about the decision until a few minutes before the Congress was due to begin and did not know what the specific allegations were.
But, in 2015, when he was elected as a member of the IAAF Council in Beijing, Al Kamali was forced to deny allegations he had offered delegates Rolex watches in an attempt to win votes at the Confederation of African Athletics Congress.
He denied the claims.
Restrepo, the first Colombian to win an Olympic medal in athletics when she claimed a bronze in the 400 metres at Barcelona 1992, was elected as the first female vice-president in the IAAF’s 117-year history.
The 50-year-old, now a citizen of Chile, was elected ahead of Canada’s Abby Hoffman, the 1963 and 1971 Pan American Games 800m gold medallist and 1966 Commonwealth Games 880 yards champion, and The Netherlands’ Sylvia Barlag, who finished 10th in the pentathlon at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
Restrepo polled 85 votes with Hoffman getting 68 and Barlag 53.
“Ximena is a former athlete which is tremendously helpful when you’re driving the sport forward,” Coe said.
“I am delighted that we have for the very first time elected a female vice-president and that she will be joined by seven other women on Council.
“This is a historic moment.”
Coe had initiated a change in the IAAF constitution following his election in Beijing four years ago to ensure that there would be a female vice-president.
“I’m really honoured to take this position,” said Restrepo.
“It’s a great moment for me and for my country.
“I would like to thank you, Seb, because this was only made possible because of you and the changes made to the constitution.
“I think we, as women, now have more opportunities than before.
“I just hope I can do a good job.
“I’d like to thank all of the Member Federations who voted for me.
“I hope I can be all that they expected me to be.”
Restrepo is joined as IAAF vice-president by Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka, Norfolk Island’s Geoffrey Gardner and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al Saud.
Bubka, who held the post of senior IAAF vice-president having lost out for President to Coe in 2015, and Gardner were elected with 139 and 105 votes respectively.
But Cuba’s double Olympic gold medallist Alberto Juantorena, elected as a vice-president in Beijing four years ago, lost his position.
He was beaten by Prince Nawaf in a run-off after both polled 71 votes.
In the second vote, Prince Nawaf received 106 votes to Juantorena’s 100.
Juantorena did, however, win one of the 13 seats on the IAAF Council.
Hoffman and Barlag also retained their places on the Council – meaning there will be a record eight women on the sport’s ruling executive.
Restrepo, Hoffman and Barlag will be joined by Italy’s Anna Riccardi and Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel, who also retained their places, and newcomers Nan Wang, vice-director of the Chinese Athletics Association, and Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary general of the Ugandan Athletics Federation.
The final female member of the Council will be a representative of the IAAF Athletes’ Commission, expected to be announced in November.
Hiroshi Yokokawa, President of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, is another newly-elected member of the IAAF Council less than a year before Tokyo is due to host the Olympic Games.
The 72-year-old businessman, the former executive vice-president at Osaka Gas Co Ltd, earned more votes than any of his rivals with 142.
Also elected to the Council for the first time was America’s Willie Banks, silver medallist in the triple jump at the 1983 IAAF World Championships, and Spain’s Raul Chapado, another former triple jumper who competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
The list of debutants was completed by Dobromir Karamarinov, the first vice-president of European Athletics.
Adille Sumariwalla, President of the Athletics Federation of India, who competed in the 100m at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, retained his place on the Council.
The 61-year-old, now a successful media tycoon in India, had earlier withdrawn from the race for IAAF vice-president.
The IAAF Council is completed by Antti Pihlakoski, President of the Finnish Athletics Federation.
The 58-year-old, a former middle-distance runner, polled 125 votes, more than anyone except Yokokawa.
insidethegames has contacted Al Kamali for comment.
The Future Olympian Athletics Classic has been rescheduled from the first quarter of 2026 to the last quarter of the year, as organisers move to transform the meet into a truly national developmental programme spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a statement signed by Bruce Ijirigho, a former quarter-miler and Team Nigeria captain to the 1976 Summer Olympics, the postponement was described as a strategic decision aimed at broadening participation and ensuring that young talents across the country are discovered and nurtured systematically.
The competition is being organised by the Youth Sports Renaissance Foundation (YSRF), a non-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission by Ijirigho, Godwin Obasogie and Charlton Ehizuelen. The foundation’s primary objective is to revive athletics, particularly at the secondary school level, and rebuild Nigeria’s once-thriving grassroots sports culture.
Ijirigho, who serves as Project Lead, explained that the initiative is not about creating something entirely new but about restoring a proven system that once produced champions.
“This competition is not about reinventing the wheel,” he said. “It is about bringing back the culture that ensured that my contemporaries and I were discovered early in secondary school, received the right coaching and academic support, and went on to earn scholarships while combining sports with education. Many of us later became national, continental and global champions.”
He identified early exposure and modern, age-appropriate coaching as the missing links in youth development across Nigeria and much of Africa.
“The bane of sports in Nigeria and many African countries is that our youth don’t get opportunities early enough and lack modern coaching techniques that accelerate their development,” Ijirigho stated.
According to him, the Future Olympian Athletics Classic will go beyond competition by incorporating international coaching clinics designed to transfer contemporary skills and knowledge to Games masters and grassroots coaches nationwide.
“The Classic will not only discover talents in their early teens but also upgrade the capacity of our coaches. That way, we will nurture them properly to become Olympians and world beaters in their late teens and early twenties. This programme is strictly for high school students because it is developmental.”
The decision to expand the event to all six geopolitical zones, he noted, reflects a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
“Talents abound in every nook and cranny of the country. There are middle- and long-distance runners, sprinters, quarter-milers, jumpers and hurdlers who were either not discovered at all or discovered too late. With this postponement, we can widen the tent and give every Nigerian child a fair chance.”
Ijirigho expressed confidence that with proper planning and sustained grassroots investment, Nigeria can reclaim its place at the summit of global athletics.
“We have what it takes to dominate athletics worldwide. All we need is to get our development programme right. The Future Olympian Athletics Classic will lay that foundation for our youth and for the country when it begins in the last quarter of 2026.”
With its expanded national scope and emphasis on structured youth development, the initiative signals a renewed push to reposition Nigerian athletics for long-term global success.
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Kenya’s Ezra Kipchumba Kering delivered a commanding Valentine’s Day performance to win the 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Saturday.
Kipchumba surged to the finish line at Eko Atlantic City in an impressive time of 2:11:55, clinching the $50,000 winner’s prize in one of Africa’s most prestigious road races. His decisive kick in the closing stages sealed a memorable triumph in a fiercely contested men’s elite race.
Uganda completed a strong showing on the podium, with Lomoi Samuel finishing just four seconds behind the winner in 2:11:59, while compatriot Namutala Kephar Lumbasi secured third place in 2:12:25 to underline East Africa’s dominance in the men’s event.
The Gold Label marathon, organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited under the leadership of Managing Director Mrs Yetunde Olopade, once again lived up to its billing as a premier long-distance spectacle, attracting top-tier athletes from across the continent and beyond.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Dinke Meseret Meleka claimed top honours, crossing the line in 2:37:36 after a determined run. Kenya’s Daniel Flomena Cheyech followed closely in 2:37:43, while Ethiopia’s Getaw Wgagen Zewdalem finished third in 2:38:59 to complete a tightly fought podium finish.
With another thrilling chapter added to its history, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon reaffirmed its growing stature as a leading destination for elite runners and a major highlight on Africa’s athletics calendar.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The organisers of the gold-labelled Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have described Saturday’s 11th edition as an iconic milestone that ushers in a new decade for one of Africa’s most prestigious road races.
Speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of Access Bank in Lagos, the Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, said the 2026 edition represents growth, resilience and renewed ambition for the marathon.
“This 11th edition is symbolic for us. It is not just another race; it signals the beginning of another decade of excellence, impact and global recognition for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon,” Olopade said.
She expressed appreciation to Access Bank, corporate sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their unwavering support and commitment to the annual event.
“We are deeply grateful to Access Bank, our valued sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their consistency and belief in this vision. Together, we have built one of the most revered road races in Africa, and this year’s event will be nothing short of world-class,” she added.
Olopade assured runners, partners and spectators of a top-quality race that would further consolidate the marathon’s international standing and enhance its global profile.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, commended the organisers for their professionalism and dedication, noting that the marathon has continued to elevate Lagos’ image globally.
“The Lagos State Government remains fully committed to supporting the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon because it continues to put Lagos on the global map in a positive light,” Fatodu said.
“This race is more than a sporting event; it is a celebration of our culture, resilience and capacity to host world-class events. We will continue to provide the enabling environment for it to thrive.”
Adding his voice, Dr Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultra Runners, described the marathon’s evolution over the years as remarkable.
“The progression I have seen at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is truly phenomenal. Year after year, the race keeps improving in standards, organisation and global appeal,” Khan said.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract elite athletes from across the world, further reinforcing the marathon’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading road races and a flagship sporting event for Nigeria.
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