2024 Paris Olympics: For Ofili, Okezie and five others, it’s for real this time!

Sprinters Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Tima Godbless, field eventers Ruth Usoro, Chioma Onyekwere and Annette Echikunwoke as well as quarter miler, Chidi Okezie, will finally be making their Olympic debut, three years after they were denied the chance by the ineptitude Nigerian officials.

The Nigerians were among 20 athletes (including three other Nigerians who are not going to Paris) disqualified from the Games in Tokyo, Japan by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, for not meeting the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15 governing National Anti-Doping Federation.

Nigeria was the most affected country that did not meet the minimum testing requirements with 10 athletes.
According to the AIU at the time, ‘Nigeria was included in Category A at the start of 2020 following a continued period of weak domestic testing levels.

‘Under the framework of Rule 15 governing National Federation Anti-Doping Obligations, which came into force in January 2019, National Federations are accountable for ensuring appropriate anti-doping measures are in place in their respective jurisdictions.

‘Among other things, the Rule sets out minimum requirements for testing on the national teams of ‘Category A’ federations deemed to have the highest doping risk and considered as a threat to the overall integrity of the sport.

‘The key requirement in Rule 15 is that an athlete from a ‘Category A’ country must undergo at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) conducted no less than 3 weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to a major event. Only then do they become eligible to represent their national team at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games.’

The AFN says it has learnt from the mistake of 2021 and bizarrely made it a requirement for selection albeit the federation is responsible for testing the athletes.

‘Only athletes with the 3 out of competition test will be eligible for selection after the trials’, wrote the AFN in its rules for selection captioned: Criteria for participation and selection, contained in a letter dated May 23, 2924 sent to state athletics associations and other stakeholders.

It will be safe to say, barring any last minute injury, that the AFN have learnt from the mistake in Tokyo.

While six out of the 10 Nigerian athletes disqualified have made it back for the Paris Olympics, the seventh, Echikunwoke, will be representing the United States of America after switching allegiance back to in June 2022.