Athletics
ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon Race Director appeals for mass support from residents and participants
All hands are on deck to ensure the success of the 2023 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon according to the Race Director Gabriel Okon.
As part of the measure to ensure that participants and residents of Abuja have a memorable experience, the Race Director and other functional managers including officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) embarked on route tour to identify areas that will be closed permanently for the four hours that the race will last and areas that will be partially closed.
Okon disclosed that the half marathon will start in front of the ECOWAS Commission at 7 am, while the 5-kilometre fun race will start at Banex. Plaza.
He advised runners to get to start points before 6 am on race day December 16, 2023, because “once its 6 am, Thomas Sankara Street and the Yakubu Gowon Crescent will be totally blocked, there will be partial closure on Nnamdi Azikwe Expressway but the roads will be blocked from Banex Plaza to the Vehicle Park behind the Eagles Square and the Federal Secretariat.”
The Race Director urges residents of FCT especially those who live along the route to come out in their thousands and cheer the runners. He appealed for the cooperation of residents with the organisers, especially those who will give instructions to those who intend to go out on the race day,
Said Okon, “the good news is that if we start the race by 7 am by 10 am we are done with both the half and marathon and the 5 km. so we are appealing to residents for their cooperation. We will begin our route education in all the media this week, especially for those who live around the route and those who may have important business to transact around the area on race day.
“As for runners, our kits distribution starts on Monday, December 11 to Friday, December 15 at the vehicle park behind the federal secretariat, runners apart from getting the running vests and number bibs will also get a participant guide which contains all the information they need to know especially about road closure, alternative routes, how to get to the start point on race day and where they could park their vehicles’.
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.
Zimbabwe sports minister among candidates for International Olympic Committee presidency
World Athletics boss, Coe and multi-millionaire Eliasch among seven candidates for IOC presidency
Storm in CAF over proposed statutes amendments
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
AFCON6 days agoSuper Eagles lead Afcon Group D qualifiers despite Benin’s defeat of Libya
-
AFCON5 days agoAustin Eguavoen remains the ‘Big Boss’, says NFF
-
AFCON6 days agoWhy I benched Osimhen again – Eguavoen
-
AFCON5 days agoRwanda newspaper gives 5 lessons gleaned from Rwanda-Nigeria clash
-
Nigerian Football6 days agoWesterhof recommends Siasia for Super Eagles’ job
-
AFCON6 days agoNigeria’s managerial crisis resumes as Eguavoen reportedly declines to continue
-
AFCON1 week agoHurray, Super Eagles back to winning ways!
-
AFCON4 days agoPresent and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen