Sports

AIU slams Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru with six-year ban for doping violations

Published

7 months ago

October 13, 2023

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has slammed Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru with a six-year ban for two doping violations, including possession of prohibited substances and attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.

The AIU, in a statement on Thursday, said there was overwhelming evidence against the former world junior silver medallist to merit the ban after a thorough investigation that lasted several months.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level,” Brett Clothier, head of the AIU, said in the statement.

“The AIU is fully committed to unearthing cheats and the extent of their networks. In our quest to protect the integrity of athletics, we often work closely with other investigative organisations.

“We are grateful for the assistance from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and United States Department of Justice whose legal reach provided vital evidence which helped in this matter as well as in our case against Blessing Okagbare last year.

“There was photographic evidence of multiple prohibited substances discovered in Oduduru’s Florida apartment.

“Among evidence found were two boxes of Somatropin, Xerendip and Humatrope, which were identified as human growth hormone; a plastic bag labelled IGF LR3 – an abbreviation for synthetic Insulin Growth Factor – containing three vials, and two boxes of erythropoietin (EPO),” the AIU said.

Oduduru had been provisionally suspended on February 9 after he was linked to a doping case involving former African 100m champion, Blessing Okagbare, who was banned for 11 years for doping in 2022.

Okagbare’s case came to light after US prosecutors charged therapist, Eric Lira with supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.

Okagbare was expelled from the Tokyo Olympics just before the women’s 100m semi-finals after it emerged she had tested positive for human growth hormone in an out-of-competition test in Slovakia before the delayed 2020 Games.

Her phone was seized by US Customs and Border Protection when she returned to the United States and a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint set out “highly incriminating text and voice messages” with Lira after which she was banned by the AIU for the use of multiple prohibited substances and for not co-operating with the investigation.

The AIU said it found significant evidence against Oduduru, including Whatsapp messages between Okagbare and Lira that revealed Okagbare was soliciting prohibited substances on Oduduru’s behalf.

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Sports

Zambia’s women national team coach face new sexual assault allegation

Published

7 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Zambia women national team coach, Bruce Mwape, is facing new allegations of sexual assault and misconduct at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, prompting an investigation by world football governing body, FIFA.

Mwape who is currently facing allegations of sexual harassment after some of his players laid accusations against him, has been accused by a female FIFA contractor of inappropriately touching her breast during the tournament.

A report on the Fifa website disclosed that the body received an official complaint accusing the 64-year-old Mwape of touching the breast of a FIFA contractor from New Zealand.

The complainant is quoted to have told Fifa officials that Mwape had inappropriately touched her breasts in a suggestive manner.

“I remember him putting his hand on my shoulder to say ‘Good morning,’ but then he went again and wiped his hand straight down the front, obviously touching my boob,” the contractor reportedly said.

“It happened so quickly. It felt wrong to me but I also questioned whether it had just been a mistake. But after that, his relationship with me was very different. So I think he knew what he had done was not appropriate,” the unnamed contractor added.

The incident, according to the report, allegedly occurred while the team was staying at an Auckland hotel before their match against Spain.

Sports

Botswanan Tebogo hits at Kenyan Omanyala over claims of being African sprint king

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Botswanan sprint sensation,
Letsile Tebogo, has hit back at Kenyan 100m champion, Ferdinand Omanyala, over claims that he is the king of African sprint.

Omanyala, in an Track and Field network in April, had laid claims to being the true king of Africa in sprints having risen to prominence in 2021 when he set the record as the fastest man in the continent when he ran 9.77 at the 3rd edition of the Absa Kip Keino classic.

The following year, Omanyala won the 2022 African title in Mauritius, as well as the 100m gold at the Commonwealth Games, feats he believes bestows on him the title of Africa’s king of the sprint.

Though it has not been all rosy for the 28-year-old Omanyala as he has faltered at some big stages having failed to make the final of the Olympic games in Tokyo in 2021 and finished a disappointing seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, he still believes he is head and shoulders above other African stars.

On the other hand, 20-year-old Tebogo has already scored medals in both the 100 and 200m races at the highest stage, which has given him the right to question Omanyala’s claims

“I do not have anything to say. Everything will reveal itself as time goes on,” Tebogo said in an interview with the same Track and Field network on Tuesday.

“To me, it does not make sense if you are the African champion, but where it mattered the most, he could not step in,” he added.

Tebogo who has proven his mettle in the 200m which he claims is the easiest race to compete in, believes it should also be used as a gauge to test the fastest men in the continent apart from just the 100m.

“The 100 is very tactical. Any day can be your day. I believe we should include both races,” he added.