Doping: Lawmakers to summon Sports Minister over disqualification of Nigerian athletics at Tokyo

The House of Representatives on Wednesday opened a probe into the disqualification of Nigerian athletes at the 2020 Olympics over alleged doping.

During the plenary, the lower chamber resolved to summon the Minister of  Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, to explain the preparedness of the Nigerian contingent for the sports festival.

The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion at the plenary titled, “Need to Investigate Activities of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on [the] Failed Doping Test by Nigeria Athletes at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

While moving the motion, the lawmaker representing Ijesa South Federal Constituency of Osun, Babatunde Ayeni, said the Nigerian delegation to the Olympic Games fared well in terms of performance, thereby raising the country’s rating the comity of nations.

He recalled the outstanding performance of the Nigerian football team at the 1996 Olympics where the country bagged a historic first soccer gold medal at the Centennial Games in Atlanta, United States of America.

Consequently, the lawmakers resolved to “Invite the Minister Youth and Sports Development to brief the Committee on Sports on the level of Nigeria’s compliance with extant regulations set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the independent anti-doping arm, Athletics Integrity Unit.”

They also asked, “the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to put necessary measures in place to ensure compliance with extant regulations at both local and international competitions.”

Similarly, the House mandated its Committee on Sports to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the failed doping test to forestall future occurrences.