The Nation Newspaper

Tag: OLYMPICS

  • WADA may hammer Bolt, others

    WADA may hammer Bolt, others

    Jamaica’s athletes, including sprint star Usain Bolt, could be banned from major events like the Olympics due to the island’s handling of recent drug scandals, according to Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph.

    World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey, in an interview with the paper, accused Jamaica of “farcical” behaviour in its attempts to defer an extraordinary audit of its anti-doping programme until next year.

    This followed an invitation to WADA by Jamaica’s prime minister to investigate revelations from the former executive director of the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission (Jadco) that it conducted no drug tests in the five months leading up to last year’s London Olympics. But Jadco’s suggestion that they would talk to WADA next year infuriated anti-doping chiefs.

    If Jamaica is deemed to be non-compliant with the WADA code, their athletes could be banned from major competitions until the situation is resolved even though the likes of multiple Olympic champion Bolt have never failed a drugs test.

    “The current position is unacceptable to WADA and we’re not going to take it lying down, their suggestion that they’ll talk to us next year,” said Fahey.

    “To suggest to WADA they’re not ready to meet with us to talk about their problem until sometime next year is unsatisfactory, it’s totally unacceptable to me and we shall act appropriately within an appropriate time frame.”

    Asked if Jamaica would be declared ‘non-compliant’, Fahey replied: “There are a number of options.”

     

     

    “You can read into that exactly what those words are likely to mean but I don’t want to flag it up,” added Fahey, a former premier of the Australian state of New South Wales, whose mandatory maximum six-year term as Wada president ends this year.

    Wada said in August it was standing by to help Jamaica resolve their problems in the wake of the doping scandal involving former 100m world record-holder Asafa Powell.

    The global anti-doping agency had then called for urgent action on the concerns raised by former Jamaica anti-doping chief Renee Anne Shirley over flaws in the country’s drug testing programme.

    Jadco chairman Herb Elliott responded to Shirley’s revelations by labelling her a “Judas” and a “bit demented”.

    He insisted Jamaica’s drug-testing procedures were in line with international standards and said of the proposed Wada inspection:

    “The last time they were here, they claimed everything was OK. So I don’t see how they’re going to say anything is different this time

  • Nigeria to feature in seven events at 2015 Special Olympics

    The Lagos State Committee for Special Olympics said on Wednesday that Nigeria would feature in seven of the 26 events at the 2015 Special Olympics, scheduled for Los Angeles, United States.

    Olawunmi Makinde, the coordinator of the committee, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the events were athletics, basketball, table tennis, swimming, badminton, soccer and cycling.

    Makinde, who said the committee had begun preparation to ensure a successful outing at the Games, noted that early preparation would guarantee winning more medals at the competition.

    The coordinator said part of the preparations for the international competition was the regional competition for special athletes held in May in Ogun.

    She added that the forthcoming national games for special athletes scheduled for 2014 in Lagos would also serve as preparation ahead of the competition.

    “The Games will further expose the athletes to intensive training and rigorous exercises to equip them with the skills needed to excel at the competitions.

    “I can truly say that special athletes from schools in Lagos would be among the few that will make the national team because of their commitment to training,” she said.

     

  • Wushu-Kungfu practitioners hope sport will be at 2020 Olympics

    Wushu-Kungfu practitioners hope sport will be at 2020 Olympics

    Michael Oladeinde, Technical Director, Nigeria Wushu-Kungfu Federation (NWKF), on Thursday said he was hopeful that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would adopt the sport at the 2020 Olympic Games.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Executive Board of the IOC on Feb. 12 de-listed wresting from the sports for the 2020 Games.

    It has shortlisted Wushu-Kungfu, Karate, Baseball/Softball, Squash, Roller Sports, Wakeboarding Sport climbing to replace Wrestling.

    Oladeinde told NAN in Lagos that the decision would avail the International Wushu-Kungfu Federation with more time to push for the inclusion of the sport in the 2020 Olympics.

    “This is good news for members of the International Wushu-Kungfu Federation. I strongly believe the sport will take the slot at the 2020 Olympics,’’ he said.

    Oladeinde said the sport was demonstrated at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for the world to see and embrace. The technical director said the body had started grooming young talents that would represent the country when the sport was eventually included in the Olympics.

    “We already have young talents that we are nurturing to represent the country if the sport is finally in the Olympics,’’ Oladeinde said.

    Also, the Secretary of NWKF, Solomon Mgbejume, said the federation would engage athletes in competitions to prepare them ahead of the 2020 Olympics. He said that he was optimistic that the sport which has many medals, would be part of the 2020 Games.

    “There are close to 100 medals to be won in Wushu-Kungfu and we will engage our athletes in competitions to prepare them ahead of 2020.

    A Wushu-Kungfu judge, Felix Asemota, said the development was an indication of the popularity of the sport across the world. He added that the NWKF should seize the opportunity to improve its technical officials and promote the sport at the grassroots.

  • We can win gold for Nigeria at the Olympics —LCC Chief

    We can win gold for Nigeria at the Olympics —LCC Chief

    IT was a case of chest-thumping, back-slapping and thanksgiving to the Almighty God for another successful year at the tennis section of the Lagos Country Club on Friday, Ikeja, when the chairman and the entire management council members rolled out the drums in celebration of the Annual Dinner and Dance of the award-winning tennis section.

    Indeed, when it was time for stock-taking, the president of LCC, Barrister Wale Osomo revealed that the club will set up an academy that will take care of budding talents within and outside the club. Osomo further said: “We have a destination and that is to put someone in the Olympics that can win gold medals for Nigeria. It is going to be a scheme in our plans and so we have started by setting up our committees saddled with the task of putting in place both educational and sporting academies.

    “So those things have been put in place and we will come out with it in the next few months and I hope that you please stay the course with us to see what we are doing. This is not just idle talk; we will do it and we will achieve it. By the grace of God we will be back here in sixteen years’ time and we will have someone at the Olympics.

    I don’t believe it will be done by the government, the government has far too many things to do within our domain. The chairman of the tennis section, Barrister Ayo Olanrewaju in his own remarks said: “We thank God that when the present committee came on board in May this year, we recorded a lot of progress and achievements; tonight is one of them. Actually, the Annual Dinner Dance of the Tennis section is the flagship entertainment programme for the section.

    It is an annual event and it is the members that contribute to give ourselves this party. It has been a long time that we have had the kind of sacrifice and contribution and attendance of members, so that shows the members have identified with us, and we are doing well for the section, and we are very grateful to them.

    We want to see that they continue to support us this way, so that the other programmes we have mapped out in the section, we would be able to achieve them during our first 12 months in office. In all ten sections of the Lagos Country Club, tennis is the best section. Not only do we have the best facilities, we also provide what you expect to be provided in a club like this. We have the sport facilities and the entertainment like the rebuilt Clay Centre Court, which we commissioned two weeks ago.”

    Other members who graced the event included Onubogu Arinze, Emma Agbator, Akinrimisi Akin, Setonji David, Bola Oshinowo, Sylvanus Iriogbe, Rasky Gbinigie and Gabriel Akpan. Sports pundit and former NTA analyst Chuka Momah presented gifts to winners of the raffle draw at the memorable event.