Two Athletes Dropped from African Youth Games Over Age Manipulation as NSC Reads Riot Act to AFN
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has dropped two athletes from Team Nigeria’s camp ahead of the Africa Youth Games in Angola after discrepancies were discovered in their ages.
The move comes as the Commission intensifies its clampdown on age cheating in Nigerian sports, demanding accountability from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had earlier written to Nigeria seeking clarification on multiple cases of age discrepancies involving 16 athletes who competed at the CAA U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta.
The revelation has sparked outrage and embarrassment, prompting the NSC to act swiftly.
NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko expressed strong displeasure, warning that ‘heads will roll’ if officials are found culpable.
He stressed that the Commission will not tolerate age manipulation, insisting that youth competitions must serve developmental purposes rather than being tainted by a win-at-all-cost mentality.
Director General Bukola Olopade echoed the sentiment, urging the AFN to ‘put its house in order’ and restore credibility.
Rising from a meeting with AFN officials, including Technical Director Gabriel Okon and national coaches, Olopade said incompetence would no longer be excused.
‘This does not paint the AFN in good light, and as a Commission we will not hesitate to come out hard on any official or administrator responsible for this embarrassment,’ he declared.
The NSC has reaffirmed its resolution from the last Council of Sports meeting in Calabar to clamp down on age fraud across all federations.
With Nigeria’s reputation at stake, the Commission has called on the AFN to urgently address the AIU’s concerns and clear the country’s name from further international disgrace.
