While Gumel and others keep mute on Okagbare, British Olympic wants lifetime ban for Ujah
The Nigeria Olympic Committee led Gumel has a culture of being aloof in all matters.
While Habu Gumel, the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) and other stakeholders in Nigeria sports have kept mute since the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the World Athletics banned former athletics star Blessing Okagbare for 10 years last week, their British counterpart reacted swiftly to Nigeria born British sprinter Chijindu Ujah’s ban, he will not be allowed to compete for Team GB again.
The British 4x100m relay team — Richard Kilty, Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Ujah — were stripped of the silver medals that they won at last year’s Tokyo Games on Friday after Ujah, 27, tested positive for ostarine and S-23, two banned substances that can be used as an alternative to anabolic steroids.
The BOA said on Friday that it was “incredibly disappointed”, and Andy Anson, the chief executive, has reiterated his criticism of Ujah, adding that although he would struggle to enforce a lifetime ban from the Olympics that would be his preference.
“If we’re going to sit here and criticise the Russians for the [Kamila] Valieva case, we need to be as tough as possibly can be when doping happens in the UK,” Anson said.
“If it was down to me personally someone found guilty of a doping offence would never compete for Team GB again. I’m not sure legally I’d always win that battle but that’s how I feel about it. We’ve got to feel like that, right? We’ve got to be able to sit here and say we’re doing something about it.”
On Friday, the BOA apologised to those athletes moved into the silver and bronze-medal positions after the British team’s disqualification.
“Having spent the last few years retrospectively awarding numerous athletes with medals they should have won on the day at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Sochi 2014, we understand the hurt and loss doping can cause,” it said.
While the British swift reaction is commendable in Nigeria the NOC led by Gumel as been mute.
The NOC led Gumel has a culture of being aloof in all matters. Apart from turning the NOC into the unit of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Gumel’s indifference allowed crisis in many federations to get out of hand, especially in athletics and basketball.
