The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has given the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race held in May in Okpekpe, Edo State, a clean bill following the negative dope tests recorded at the historic one-day eight edition of the World Athletics Elite label meeting.
Race Director Zack Amodu revealed that the result of the doping control carried out on race day (May 28) has returned an all negative result.
“I am glad to inform you that the results of the analysis on the samples collected after the race, performed at the WADA-accredited laboratory of Lausanne, did not reveal the presence and/or use of a substance or method prohibited under the current WADA prohibited list,” wrote Stefano Longo, the AIU In Competition Testing Manager in an e-mail message to promoter of the race, Mike Itemuagbor.
This development, according to Amodu is a re-confirmation of the organisers resolve to ensure athletes compete cleanly and fairly.
“This is not only a good development for the sport, it is equally a big plus for the organisers of the race and Nigeria,” Amodu said.
He continued: “When we decided to make Dr Akin Amao who retired as the head of the Medical Unit of the Ministry of Sports and one of Nigeria’s foremost sports medicine practitioners as our head of the anti-doping unit for the race, it is because we wanted to ensure everything about the race has a touch of excellence and integrity. This has given Edo state and Nigeria a positive image that money cannot buy.’
“It will also directly or indirectly help the reclassification of Nigeria from a high risk doping nation,” Amodu added. said a delighted Amodu.
The Okpekpe international 10km road race is the first road race in West Africa to get a label rating when it was granted a bronze label status in 2015.
It graduated to become the first ever silver label road race in West Africa following its upgrade in 2018 and remains the first road race in Nigeria recognised by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
World Athletics Label Road Races are races that the World Athletics designates as one of the leading road races around the world.