The National Sports Commission (NSC) has
demanded full accountability from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)
following concerns raised by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over
alleged age discrepancies involving Nigerian athletes.
The AIU, an independent body operating under World
Athletics, has formally requested clarification from Nigeria after
identifying inconsistencies in the ages of some athletes who competed at the CAA
U18/U20 Championships held in Abeokuta.
NSC Warns of Disciplinary Action
Reacting to the development, NSC Chairman Mallam
Shehu Dikko expressed deep dissatisfaction with the situation, stressing
that age cheating will no longer be tolerated in Nigerian sports.
“At a time we are giving no place to age cheating in
our sports, this will not be swept under the carpet,” Dikko said.
“We are determined to get it right from our age-grade competitions.”
He warned that disciplinary measures would be
taken against any official found culpable in the matter.
AFN Under Pressure to Restore Credibility
The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola
Olopade, reinforced the Commission’s stance, insisting that the AFN must
demonstrate competence and take urgent steps to restore both local and
international confidence in Nigerian athletics.
Speaking after a meeting with senior AFN
officials—including Technical Director Gabriel Okon and national
coaches—Olopade described the situation as damaging to the federation’s image.
“This query does not portray the AFN in good light,”
he said.
“We will not hesitate to come down hard on any official whose actions
contributed to this embarrassment.”
Olopade added that sanctions for incompetence are now
unavoidable as the NSC intensifies its crackdown on age falsification across
Nigerian sports.
“Our resolution at the last Council of Sports meeting
in Calabar to clamp down on age falsification will not be compromised,
regardless of who is involved,” he warned.
“Youth competitions are developmental, and the win-at-all-cost mentality must
end.”
Urgent Response Required
The NSC has urged the AFN to respond promptly and
comprehensively to the AIU’s query in order to clear Nigeria’s name and avoid
further reputational damage on the international stage.
Athletes Dropped from Camp
In a related development, the Commission confirmed
that two athletes have been removed from Team Nigeria’s camp ahead of
the Africa Youth Games in Angola after age-related discrepancies were
detected.
The NSC reaffirmed its commitment to upholding
integrity, transparency, and fairness in Nigerian sports, particularly at the
youth and developmental levels.
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