Olympics
Nigeria’s Paralympic gold medalist gets four-year doping ban
Nigeria’s para powerlifter and Paralympic gold medalist, Esther Oyema, has been sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee for violating anti-doping rules. The IPC announced a ban of four years for the athlete in a statement it issued to the press. It said that Oyema “Returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance in a urine sample provided on January 28, 2019 after competing at the Lagos International Para Powerlifting Competition in Nigeria last year”. “Consequently, the 38-year-old para powerlifter, who won gold at London 2012 Olympics in the women’s 48kg category, will be disqualified from all IPC’s competitions from May 3, 2019 to May 2, 2023.” The athletic body also stripped her of the gold medal which she won in the women’s 55kg competition in Lagos. “As...
Sunday Oliseh: I started funding Nigeria national team in 1996
Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh has opened up on his experience with the Super Eagles which spanned nine years. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder made 63 appearances for the West Africans before he was forced to retire from international duty in 2002. Oliseh was a key member of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia under Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof. He explained the tournament opened doors of opportunities for him as he secured a move to Italy to play for Reggiana, becoming the first Nigerian to feature in the Serie A. “The 1994 Afcon was very special for me. In fact, it was my first major tournament for Nigeria in Tunisia and we had some great talents in the squad at that time,” Oliseh told the Punch. “We were favourites heading into the tournam...
Farah feels Tokyo delay could help 10,000m title defence
Multiple Olympic champion Mo Farah says the postponement of the Tokyo Games to 2021 could work to his advantage as the Briton will now have around 20 months to train for the defence of his 10,000m title having switched his focus back to the track. The 37-year-old retired from track athletics in 2017 to focus on road marathons but announced in November last year that he was returning for one more tilt at 10,000m gold. The target then was only a matter of months away but the year’s postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. Farah, who must still qualify, will be 38 by the time of the Games in July and August next year but is looking on the bright side. “Having postponed it actually helps me a bit more,” he told Reuters while training in isolation in London’s Richmon...
