Sports

AIU hands Tobi Amusan ‘provisional suspension’ for missing three drug tests

Published

1 year ago

July 19, 2023

Nigeria’s world record holder in the hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has been slammed with a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for allegedly missing three mandatory drug tests.

The suspension was announced on Wednesday after the body discovered that Amusan had missed the drug tests within a 12-month period, and could result in a two-year suspension for the Commonwealth champion.

In a statement on its Twitter handle, the AIU said the charge would be heard by the Disciplinary Tribunal and determined before the World Athletics Championships.

“The AIU confirms that it has today charged and provisionally suspended Tobi Amusan (NGR) for three whereabouts failures,” the body wrote.

The AIU’s decision will be further investigated and reviewed in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.

However, the 26-year-old who has represented Nigeria in numerous international competitions and only on Saturday smashed the Diamond League meet record when she won the 100m hurdles at Silesia leg in Poland, has maintained her innocence.

While reacting to the suspension, Amusan vowed to resolve the charges against her before this year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

“I am a CLEAN athlete, and I am regularly (maybe more than usual) tested by the AIU,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Today the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having 3 missed tests in 12 months.

“I intend to fight this charge and will have my case decided by a tribunal of 3 arbitrators before the start of next month’s World Championships,” she added.

The AIU, an arm of the World Athletics Federation, which is responsible for overseeing anti-doping measures in athletics worldwide, has strict rules and regulations in place to ensure the integrity of the sport and maintain a level playing field for all athletes.

One of such rules requires athletes to submit their whereabouts information, including their daily location and availability for testing, to the AIU’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS).

Failure to provide accurate and timely whereabouts information can result in sanctions, and in Amusan’s case, the three missed drug tests led to her provisional suspension from competitions.

Related Topics:AIU Doping Featured Suspension Tobi-Amusan World Record Holder

Click to comment

Sports

Nigeria’s Lookman, Zambia’s Banda big winners at 2024 CAF Award

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigerian sensation, Ademola Lookman, has wrapped his footballing year with another win after being declared as the Men’s Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Lookman, who plays for Italian club side Atalanta, was the biggest winner at the star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech following 12 months with Italian side Atalanta and the Nigerian Super Eagles. He follows in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, who claimed the award in 2023.

This is the first time Nigeria has had consecutive men’s award winners since nearly thirty years, when Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were awarded.

Other top African achievers recognized for their exploits during the event include South Africa’s Ronwen Williams and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Banda was instrumental in leading Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the United States. She scored the game-winning goal in the final against Washington Spirit.

Other winners include Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row after another impressive season for French side Paris FC.

Sanaâ Mssoudy, a forward for AS FAR and Morocco, received the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award after winning the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League Best Player title. Agile box-to-box midfielder, Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco, won the Men’s Young Player of the Year award for his outstanding performances for both club and country.

Doha El Madani, a 19-year-old Moroccan and AS FAR player, won the Women’s Young Player of the Year award after scoring six goals in five games to win the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.

See the full winners list below:

2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)

CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)

Sports

Salah wins 6th EPL Player of the Month award

Published

4 days ago

December 15, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Egyptian national team captain and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, was on Saturday voted the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for November 2024, making it his sixth POTM diadem in his career.

Salah, who has been in inspiring form this season, has scored and assisted five of Liverpool’s seven goals as the Reds won all three of their Premier League matches to stay top of the table.

Salah’s was November’s highest scorer in the Premier League and the Egyptian is now on 13 goals for the season, level with Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race.

The 32-year-old also has 21 combined goals and assists this season, the most in the Premier League, four more than Cole Palmer, who ranked second in the voting.

This award also puts Salah alongside Premier League legends like Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also won the Player of the Month award six times, and is now just one win away from equaling the record of seven awards, held by Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.