Athletics
Okpekpe organisers mourn Captain Idahosa Okunbo
Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of the Okpekpe international 10km road race is saddened by the loss of billionaire businessman and Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, Captain Idahosa Okunbo who passed away after months of a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer at a London hospital.
Mike Itemuagbor, Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing in a condolence message says Captain Hosa’s death was both a personal loss to him and a big loss to the annual 10km road race which the late billionaire helped to make the first road running event to be granted a World Athletics label in West Africa and the first member of Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) in Nigeria.
‘Captain Hosa’s death came as a shock to me albeit I knew he was battling to save his life after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was one of the pillars that made our race, Okpekpe international 10km road race to attain the historic heights it has attained in just a few years,’ said Itemuagbor who recalled one of the contributions of the late captain to the race.
”I remember when he came in to become one of our esteemed sponsors of the race two years ago through his five star hospitality outfit,The Wells Carlton Hotel and Luxury Apartments.The company came in as our hotel/hospitality partner.
Captain Hosa even registered for the 2019 edition of the race although his busy schedule prevented him from being physically present in Okpekpe,’ wrote Itemuagbor in a statement he personally signed.
Itemuagbor says the race will resume next year after two forced postponements ocassioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that has plagued the world since early 2020.
‘The race will resume to honour the memory of Captain Hosa who will be happy in heaven that his dear state, Edo state has been placed on the map of the world as a destination of sort for sports.
Okpekpe international 10km road race will honour him and other Nigerians and corporate organisations who ensured World Athletics designates the race as one of the leading road races around the world first with its bronze label rating before it also became the first road race in Nigeria nay West Africa to be granted a silver label rating.’
Itemuagbor prayed for the repose of the soul of the business man and philanthropist and commiserates with the family over his exit which he said was both painful and untimely.
A record 6,000 runners, local and international from across the African continent and Nigeria have registered for the second edition of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run slated for September 28, 2024, as the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited guns for a bronze label status for the race.
The Chief Operating Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Ebidowie Oweifie, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race titled ‘For Greatness’ out is out to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Egba paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 111, the 10km Run will flag off at Iyana Oloke at 6am and finish at The Alake Palace, Abeokuta.
Kenya’s Peter Nwaniki is the men’s race defending champion at a time of 28 minutes 14 seconds, while Shamila Kipsirir also of Kenya is the women’s defending champion.
Nigeria’s race men’s defending champion is Francis James at 31minutes 08seconds, while the women’s defending champion is Patience Daylop at 36 minutes 31 seconds.
The second edition of Abeokuta10km Race will be sponsored by Lotus Bank, FEBBS Premium Water, Fatgbems Petroleum Limited and Cash Token.
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.
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