Doping ban: House Committee on Sports invites NOC, NADO over WADA threat to ban Nigeria

 

The Federal House Committee on Sports has invited the leadership of Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) and National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) over World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) threat to ban all Nigerian from participating in all sports.

This follows Nigeria's inability to comply with international standard as laid down in the World Anti-Doping code.

After lifting ban on Nigeria in November 2018, WADA is furious that the country has not fulfill the promises made to comply with international Anti-Doping regulations. 

To this end, WADA has concluded plans to ban Nigeria from participating in all sports if nothing is done before the end of August, 2023. 

To save Nigeria from the international embarrassment, the Chairman, House Committee On Sports, Hon. Ekene Adams has invited the leadership of Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) as well leadership of National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) to a Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 22nd August, 2023. This is to put heads together and come up with plans to stop WADA from the imminent suspension capable of putting the country's image in bad light.

"Anti-doping has become very important in sports that athletes and countries alike can be banned  from participating in sports if they do not comply with international anti-doping regulations." Honourable Ekene said.

He added, "To save innocent athletes and Nigeria from the embarrassment, the House Committee On Sports has mapped out plans to stop the imminent suspension by inviting the leadership of NOC and NADO to appear before it.

"Due lack of time, we need to act as quickly as possible to forestall WADA ban pronouncement at the end of August. Sports is a very important tool for addressing youth restiveness and engaging youth for meaning achievement in life. 

"Nigeria has huge population of youth and the benefit this group gain from sports can not be overemphasized and must not be taken away from them. 

"If Nigeria is banned again, it is the innocent Nigerian athletes that will suffer from it. This Government does not need the distraction and embarrassment the issue of anti-doping will generate for the country nationally and internationally." He concluded. 

Ogba pays tribute to father of football in Mid-West, Late Etemike

 

The Vice-President of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Solomon Ogba over the weekend paid glowing tribute to the father of football in Mid-Western state, and one of the fathers of football in Nigeria late Godwin Etemike who died recently.

“The Mid-West, indeed Nigeria has lost a genuine lover of football who gave his all for the beautiful. He was selfless, patriotic and empathic. As a Super Eagles star, he was ready to die for the jersey on the field of play, as one of the coaches that ensure we won the Afcon in 1980 the late Etemike endured sleepless nights to ensure we succeeded, we have lost a great Nigerian” said Ogba.  

He recalled that it was Etemike assembled the team that gave Nigeria her first continental title in 1980.

“It was Etemike that took Christian Chukwu and others to Brazil a few months to the 1980 Afcon before Otto Glory was appointed to take over of the team.”

Ogba recalled Etemike playing career in the colours of Stationery Stores FC of Lagos and then WNDC which later changed to IICC Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan, now 3SC and Plateau X1, and his days in the Super Eagles alongside greats like Eto Amaechina, Amusa Shittu, and Thunder Balogun. 

“He was one of our best and he played alongside the best players in Nigeria in his days. If he had been playing today he would have played for the best clubs in the world.”

His coaching career was no less illustrious according to Ogba.

He was the first Chief Coach of Mid-West Director of Sports, he led Bendel Insurance FC as chief coach to win the 1972 FA Cup against Mighty Jets of Jos with great players like Sebastian Broderick, Tony Ottah, Sam Ikeji, Victor Oduah, Peter Egharevba.”

Others clubs he coached are NNPC Warri, Sharks of Port Harcourt, Asaba Textiles Ethiope FC, Ika Rangers and NNB FC.

“Nigeria has lost a great man, his death is a huge blow to the Mid-West and indeed the sports family in Nigeria,” said Ogba

NBBF Elections: 'Nigerian basketball is bigger than any individual - Musa Kida

 

Chairman Caretaker Committee of Nigeria Basketball Federation NBBF Engr. Musa Kida has revealed that the game of basketball in Nigeria is bigger than any individual.

He reiterated that NBBF have constitution approved by the FIBA and only thing that can change it is Congress, which is ultimate body of NBBF

He stated this in Abuja on Wednesday shortly after the major stakeholders  meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports Development. 

Kida said that survival of basketball supercedes any personal interest.

According to him, this meeting was called at the instance of the Honourable Minister to get the various stakeholders on the same table to find ways which Basketball will have a rancor free elections and more importantly to him, assure the development of Basketball in Nigeria.

"What we came for was for the interest of Basketball and for the interest of all the stakeholders coming together to make Basketball work in Nigeria, and also conform with a larger picture that Basketball is bigger than individual" . 

Continuing, Kida said "The result of it has been that there is a contention of whether the constitution would be used or not, based on the advice that the Honourable Minister has gotten from the NOC and and his legal team which he agreed to" .

"The constitution of NBBF is an approved constitution by FIBA, and it has been read at the floor of the congress. The NBBF does have a constitution, that is going to be the major document going forward. 

"They also recommended that there are some parties who showed some worried over certain issues in the constitution and the Ministry believed this can be corrected quickly if they so agreed by the congress of NBBF which is sole approving body."

"Everyone was told to lodge whatever they believed is their complain, and there will be a 21 days of consultations and they will allow the NBBF congress to come and deliberate on those clauses, after which the NBBF elections will then be organized. This is a very sane way of taking a lot of people along in the development of the game in the country". 

"Nigeria Basketball is much bigger than Musa Kida. I know I'm a stakeholder in this matter, when you talk about the present tense of Basketball, I will be counted among. But what I do think is bigger than Musa Kida. Basketball in Nigeria is bigger than Musa Kida, and Musa Kida must not be seen as a road block to such a very noble initiative to get all basketball families together, this will make our constitution good and everyone will do his job better. I will say that the greatest achievement is that we have a constitution and secondly that the constitution will be used to amend those things that needs to be improved upon. That will be the interest of Musa Kida as the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the NBBF " he concluded.

61 Athletes to fly Team Nigeria Flag in Tokyo

Team Nigeria will depart for the Tokyo  2020 Olympics  in two batches with 61 athletes flying the country's flag, says Minister of Youth and sports Development Mr Sunday Dare.

The  Minister  made this  disclosure on Monday while  addressing the plenary meeting with National Sports Federations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

According to the Minister,
"The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020  affected the organisational structures of both the Olympic and Paralympic  Games. This consequently pushed International Federations (IFs) to review their international sporting calendar and qualification pathway for athletes in their quest to participate at the Games.

These challenges, no doubt were difficult to overcome, but could not stop us as a great nation in ensuring that our athletes are strongly supported and motivated to achieve this milestone.

"I must sincerely commend each and every one of you for your commitment and for standing together in this journey. Specifically, I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his immense support in approving and ensuring that funds were released to enable our athletes attend series of
qualification tournaments.

As at today, Nigeria has qualified 61 athletes across 9 Sports for the
Olympics, and 22 athletes in 4 Sports for the Paralympic Games, which are: Athletics-22, Badminton-3,  Basketball-24, Canoe sprint-1, Gymnastic-1, Rowing-1, Taekwondo-1, TableTennis-1,  Wrestling-1 which sums up to 61 and for Paralympic Games we have;
Para Athletics-5, Para Powerlifting-10, power rowing-1, Para Table Tennis-6 summing up to 22."

The Minister further  said "The recent qualification of Nigeria for the Women’s 4x100m, Women’s 4x400m and 4x400m Mixed Relays was a significant achievement for the country, while still awaiting the World Athletics (WA) to ratify the slots in a  few days.

The Ministry in collaboration with the Nigerian Olympic Committee has
scheduled a 14-day Pre-Games Training Camp (PGTC) for the athletes in
Kisarazu , Japan. This move is to further expose the athletes to adequate
preparations ahead of their events as well as to give them ample time to adjust to the Japanese time zone. It is also strategic to meet with COVID-19
regulations. For the Olympic Games, the first batch of the athletes are scheduled to depart for Kisarazu on 6th July, 2021 while the second batch depart on 13th July, 2021. The paralympic Teams will depart in one batch on 8th August, 2021.

The Minister said  in order to ensure a hitch-free participation  in Tokyo, the Ministry had engaged four (4) Travel Agencies to handle flight tickets of Team Nigeria Contingents.

"As the Games are gradually approaching, I feel it would be necessary for us to finalize on our strategies towards ensuring podium success at both the Olympics and the  Paralympic Games",the Minister concluded.

Signed

*Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development*

Kida draws positives from NSF certificate presentation

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