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Nigeria: No Escape for Dope Cheats, Gumel Warns Athletes
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This Day (Lagos)
5 May 2008
Posted to the web 5 May 2008
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Lagos
Nigerian athletes heading to China this summer for the Beijing Olympics have been told that there is virtually no hiding place for cheats as emerging technology has made it far easier to catch up with anyone who indulges in doping to win medals.
President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Engr. Habu Gumel, who gave this warning at the Annual General Meeting of the Olympic movement in Minna at the weekend while acknowledging the menace of doping in sports, said that it has almost led to the elimination of certain events recently.
"Therefore, the onus is on all the (sports) federations concerned to join hands with the NOC and the NSC in the fight to eradicate drug abuse and save our nation from embarrassment at the Olympic Games," stressed Gumel, a past president of Nigeria Society of Engineers.
While calling for seriousness and discipline in Nigeria's approach to the preparations for the Games, the NOC chief commended the NSC's commitment in ensuring that Nigerian athletes participate in the 2008 Games.
"We congratulate all Nigerian athletes already qualified for the Games and wish all those still undergoing the qualification process the best of luck."
In a six-point communiqué released at the end of the AGM, the NOC resolved that government strive to evolve a deliberate policy to ensure support for qualified Nigerians to aspire to international federations and confederations at which crucial decisions involving their sports are taken.
"Such persons should be supported with funds and other logistics to enable them to be elected into executive positions. Their presence in such bodies can be of direct benefit to the country and their local federations."
The NOC supported the drive by the NSC to partner the private sector in the funding, growth and development of sports in the country.
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"The Committee urges the government to properly structure the National Lottery initiative in order to contribute meaningfully towards the funding of sports federations just as it is done in other countries."
The resolutions include the support for Nigeria's bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, endorsement of the full membership of the National Triathlon Union (NTU) and the commendation of the governor and people of Niger State for making the state one of the 'Olympic Friendly States' in the country.
Delegates to the Minna congress were later in the night treated to a lavish dinner by the Minister of Sports Abdurahman Hassan Gimba at his hilltop country home.
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