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10 Nigerian athletes among 20 disqualified from Tokyo Olympic track

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Twenty athletes, including 10 from Nigeria, will not be allowed to participate in track and field at the Olympics because they did not meet anti-doping testing requirements in the lead-up to the Games.

The Athletics Integrity Unit, which runs the anti-doping program for the sport, requires athletes from countries categorized as “high risk” because of deficiencies in their testing programs to be given three no-notice, out-of-competition tests in the 10 months leading to a major event.

Each of the seven so-called “Category A” countries had at least one athlete banned from the Games.

The countries are Belarus, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Ukraine.

“Nigeria is the most affected country, not meeting the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15 for 10 athletes,” the AIU statement said.

Read Also: Olympic chief, Gumel, urges Team Nigeria to win ‘clean medals’ in Tokyo

AIU does not release the names of the banned athletes, but the list of all Nigerian athletes in the athletics event can be found here.

Recall that Kenya had previously announced that two of its runners, who are among the 20 mentioned in the AIU release, did not meet the qualifications.

Their removal made room on the squad for 1,500-meter world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, who has the world’s best time this year but surprisingly finished fourth at the country’s Olympic trials.

AIU chair David Howman said there have been improvements in the “Category A” countries’ testing programs “but there remains a long way to go in some circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Team Nigeria are yet to win a medal from the rescheduled Games in the Japanese capital, with many believing that the team stand better chances in track and field.

Below is the list of athletes earlier billed to represent Nigeria in track and field:

Enoch Adegoke
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi
Divine Oduduru
Usheoritse Itsekiri
Samson Nathaniel
Chidi Okezie
Tobi Amusan
Ese Brume
Blessing Okagbare
Favour Ofili
Rosemary Chukwuma
Patience Okon-George
Ruth Usoro
Grace Nwokocha
Glory Patrick
Knowledge Omovoh
Nse Imaobong Uko
Chioma Onyekwere
Annette Echikunwoke

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