Athletics
SCHOLARSHIP INCENTIVES FOR NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL ATHLETES
Former Nigerian international and the Director General of the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc (NSDFI), Olajide Fashikun, has challenged the young athletes who will be participating at the 19thNational Sports festival to strive well to excel in their chosen sport as well as their education.
According to Fashikun, “we have started preparations for the 2024 Olympics. As we speak now, we have worked out modalities to support athletes who are between 14 and 18 years to get sports scholarship in America as part of the structures to have enough athletes who can deliver the medals in the 2023 African Games in Ghana and the 2024 Olympics.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some Universities in America.
“We are using the African Youth Games in Algeria and the 19th National Sports festival to compile a list of very young athletes we can support for this mid-term project. Of this population of young athletes, we had short listed 30 athletes in seven sports that will enjoy a six-year grant to help them mature.
According to the former El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri and Zamalek SC of Egypt star, “none of our athletes will be propped if they do not have education to back their sports.
“For those who have graduated from secondary school and have very good results, they can approach us to enjoy the opportunities.
“They don’t have to be from rich homes. It is their talent and educational qualification that will give them this unique opportunity.”
Fashikun added, “Every sport in the Olympics will be involved. Two, our focus is more on the individual sports and team sports.
“All you need is being straight. We don’t want any age-falsification. Have your credits and be good in your sport. We shall join you to Olympic heights. Our eyes are on 2024 Olympics.”
Athletics
Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan
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.
Athletics
Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!
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.
Athletics
Tobi Amusan thanks God for success at CAS in doping case
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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