BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – For running foul of anti-doping rules, several registered athletes have been sent home from the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged “Gateway Games 2025″.
They were officially disqualified and barred from competing for medal at the games by the National Sports Commission (NSC) for violating existing anti-doping protocols.
The announcement followed a strategic joint meeting held on Monday between the Main Organising Committee (MOC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival, currently taking place in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
According to the NSC, the decision aligns with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to clean and fair sports competition.
WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport. Its governance and funding are based on equal partnership between the Sport Movement and Governments of the world.
Defending the decision to send affected athletes packing from the games, Director General of NSC, Hon Bukola Olopade, urged all participating states to take the directive seriously.
He said, “Anti-doping is a critical mandate of the Commission. We are committed to ensuring Nigerian athletes remain drug-free at both national and international events”.
The NSC boss also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing into law Nigeria’s National Anti-Doping Act, describing it as a landmark move that reinforces the country’s zero-tolerance policy on drugs in sports.
“The ripple effects of this law must be immediately evident, beginning with the ongoing Sports Festival,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commission has listed the following athletes as those with unresolved doping issues and therefore ineligible to compete for medals at the Games
They are:
• Marcus Okon – Akwa Ibom State (Para Athletics)
• Ayabeke David Opeyemi – Bayelsa State (Gymnastics)
• Kareem Shukurat – Lagos State (Kickboxing)
• Omole Dolapo Joshua – Bayelsa State (Kickboxing)
• Ogunsemilore Cynthia – Bayelsa State (Kickboxing)
• Animashaun Sofia – Lagos State (Para Powerlifting).
Some sports pundits, who reacted to this development, expressed happiness that the decision taken is already sign posting the NSC’s renewed focus on integrity, fair play, and athlete health in Nigerian sports.
