Athletics
Okowa Salutes Amusan, Says It’s A New Dawn For Athletics
Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Tonobock Okowa says Tobi Amusan’s historic feat at the Diamond League final in Zurich last Thursday is the perfect way to close what has been a glorious year for Nigerian track and field.
Amusan made history as the first Nigerian, man or woman to be crowned Diamond League champion after winning the 100m hurdles race at the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting in Zurich .
The 24 year old also set a new 12.42 seconds African record in addition to winning the USD 30,000 top prize money and securing qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Oregon,USA next year.
‘Tobi has proved she is one of the best sprint hurdlers in the world and has made up for not making the podium at the Tokyo Olympics,’ said Okowa who has personally congratulated the reigning African and Commonwealth 100m hurdles queen.
“Tobi’s feat is a continuation of the positive developments we have been seeing in track and field since the start of the year and, on behalf of the executive board of the AFN, I want to sincerely thank the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare for his huge support our federation received during the crisis that engulfed the last board since 2017.
“He ensured the athletes didn’t lack competition since he was appointed by Mr President in 2019 and the results have been phenomenal,’ added Okowa.
The AFN president says his board is building on the solid foundation the Sports Minister laid. ‘For the first in 13 years we achieved our best performance at the Olympics by winning a medal and getting as many as four athletes to qualify for the finals of their respective events at the Tokyo Olympics.
“We also achieved our best ever performance at the World U-20 Athletics Championships, winning an unprecedented four gold in an equally unprecedented seven medals haul.
“Now Tobi has written a new script at World Athletics elite one day meetings 21 years after Falilat Ogunkoya was crowned the 400m Golden League champion.”
Okowa assures what has happened in the last two months is a signal there is a new dawn for track and field in Nigeria.
“We are challenged, more than ever to ensure a rapid and effective development of the sport and very soon we will roll out our programme for next year. It will be geared towards consolidating on our achievements this year and having our best ever performance at both the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the World Athletics Championships in Oregon next year.
“We can’t afford to go below the standards we have set this year and welfare of our athletes and coaches will be at the centre of our plans.’
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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