IAAF to open blood test centre in Kenya

The world athletics governing body, IAAF, will open a blood test centre, BTC, in Kenya’s Rift Valley town of Eldoret to cater for Kenyan and Ethiopian runners.

IAAF are also seeking to collaborate with World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, to establish a laboratory to test samples collected in the region either in Nairobi or Eldoret, Athletics Kenya, AK, boss, Isaiah Kiplagat, said on Thursday.

“In the next three months, we expect progress to have been made on the proposed BTC. IAAF came up with the idea after extensive discussions about the seriousness of doping cases in this country,” he said.

“Currently, all samples collected here are sent to South Africa or Germany for analysis and having a lab here will keep us ahead in our fight to ensure that our athletes are clean,” the chair added.

The development comes hot on the heels of the Kenyan federation revealing that five runners had been sanctioned for various doping offences in the past two months.

“The matter has received a lot of attention at the IOC, WADA and IAAF. From the BTC, we shall have biological passports for every athlete in Kenya and Ethiopia,” Kiplagat said.

Biological passports monitor changes in the blood system and have been turned to in the global effort to identify cheats with high profile bursts such as the disgraced 2008 Beijing Olympics men’s 1,500m champion, Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzy, among those who have been unearthed by comparing samples collected in different seasons.

Kiplagat slammed the Kenyan Government for failing to get off the committee set up in January to investigate allegations of rampant doping amongst the country’s runners.

“WADA have sent many emails to the Government and copied to us asking what is happening and we raised the issue two months ago and the Sports Commissioner said they had already allocated (approximately $43,178) to the commission.’’

“We do not know why they are not working up to now but we can only wait since WADA only contracts the Government, not federations,” he said.

Wilson Erupe Loyanae and Nixon Kiplagat Cherutich are serving a suspension of two years each with Moses Kiptoo Kurgat being sanctioned for a year after Athletics Kenya announced in February that both their A and B samples tested positive to banned substances.

Loyanae tested positive for EPO, or erythropoietin, in an out-of-competition test conducted last year, the first Kenyan athlete to be caught using the banned drug hormone which increases the red blood cell count.

Nixon Kiplagat Cherutich tested positive to the anabolic steroid, Nandrolone, after competing in a race in Mexico.

On March 20, Salome Jerono Biwott who won the women’s race at the 2012 Stanchart Nairobi International Marathon in 2:26:41 and Jynocel Basweti Onyancha who took part in the 23rd Marathon International De Cullacan in Mexico on January are serving two-year ban each after being added to the doping list of shame.

Okagbare Shine At Mt Sac Meeting

..As Akwu Gets Season Best In 200m

Nigeria’s 100m female champion and London 2012 Olympic finalist, Blessing Okagbare started her 2013 athletics season in good form as she posted the women’s best 200m time of 2013 when she won the 200m race with her finish time of 22.31 (wind +1.3m/sec) at the 55th Annual Mount SAC Relays on Saturday in Los Angeles, California.

Okagbare, who is a Nike ambassador at the elite invitation race, saw fellow Nike representative, Candyce McGrone running behind to take the second position with a time of 22.85 (wind + 1.3/sec) and Natasha Hastings takes the third position with her 22.90secs time.

The Delta born athletes also ran in the 4x100m women relay where she won it with Carmelita Jeter, Lauryn Williams and Mandy White with their 41.79secs time. It would be recalled that at the 54th edition of the relays last year, Okagbare also ran a new 22.70 personal best in the 200m to place second behind Leslie Cole (22.63).

Similarly, Noah Akwu came second in the men's 200 meter dash at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Middle Tennessee cruising to a season best time of 21.04, before following it up with a 10.69 100-meter dash time where he also finishing second at the weekend.

He however, earned his share of a title with the men's 4x100 meter relay team. The foursome of Akwu, Demetrius Shelton, Tahir Walsh and Rycine Ellison raced around the track in 41.14 to win the race.

Okpekpe Race: LOC Awaits Olympic Champion, Tirunesh Dibaba

Organizers of the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race are awaiting the response of  London  Olympic women's 10,000m winner, Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, to participate in the maiden event.

Technical Coordinator of the Race, Yusuf Alli said that he was in touch with the manager of the Ethiopian double Olympic champion.

Okpepke Race Excites AFN Boss, Ogba

...As Itemuagbo Confirms Adidas Participation

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Evangelist Solomon Ogba has expressed excitement on the first edition of the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race coming up on the 4th of May in Okpekpe, Edo State.

He made this declaration when the LOC paid a courtesy visit to Governor, Adams Oshiomhole in Benin City, capital of Edo state. Ogba observed that Okpekpe presents a unique venue for the tourney revealing that eight African countries have sent in their entries for the race.

“I am excited and happy to be part of the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race and with races like these, Nigeria roads will be in good shape.

“The race will be a success because as at now, we have eight African countries that have sent in their entries and before the closing date for entries. I believe we shall be having more countries willing to participate in the race in Okpekpe village that presents a unique venue for the tourney.”

Ogba, who solicited for land in Okpekpe to build a training camp where altitude tests for Nigerian athletes could be carried out, also appealed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole to give life to sport development in Edo State. He concluded that the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium will on the 27th of May; host the second edition of the AFN /Solid Works Limited Golden League.

However, initiator of the first Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, Special Adviser to the Edo Governor on Sports Matters, Chief Mike Itemuagbo told SportsDay that world renowned kitting firm, Adidas is identifying with the concept of the race adding that the company will be represented on May 4th while saying, they will come out in full to support hopefully in the next edition.

The Okpekpe Road Race, a first of its kind in Nigeria, is a long distance race of 10 kilometers over hills and sandy path, which will be flagged off by an official of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and which will attract over 3,000 local and international road runners.

Nigeria AYAC Athletes Tasks Sports Ministry

Nigeria youth athletes that participated in the first Africa Youth Athletics Championship (AYAC Warri 2013) has charged the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Commission to take as a point of duty to keep to their words and make sure the talents gotten during the competition were not forgotten in terms of nurturing.

Some of the athletes who don’t want their names in print said the altitude of the sports ministry and NSC forgetting track and field athletes’ is bad as the sport have brought glory to the country even when the sport they (NSC) always make money available for has failed the country.

A Lagos based female athlete who was among the Team Nigeria AYAC winning athletes while soliciting for camping exercise for the athletes from the AYAC team with great tutoring in track and field.

She further stressed that she was not used to running with Estimated Distance Measurement (EDM) machine while giving kudos to AFN President kudos for the AYAC 2013 which exposed the youth athletes to mechanical devices used in Warri for the championship.

 “Time is going and it will be bad if the Sports Ministry and NSC don’t take any action to camp or start any program for us Africa champions.
“If you look at the team, we are all very young and it won’t be out of place to start early because the Olympics and other championships are coming. So now is the time.
“The AFN cannot do it alone. The sports Ministry and NSC should stand by Ogba because if not for him, I doubt if Nigeria will ever attend any athletics competition year in year out,” she added

Another athlete from Delta added that, “if not for the President of the AFN, I don’t think Nigeria wound have won the AYAC 2013 because it was the AFN Boss that made sure we are camped for the championship, I heard he even spent his money on that.
‘That is very bad because if it is football, there will be money made available for the camping.”

Meanwhile, an athletics coach who also pleaded anonymity added that; “In the situation whereby the Sports Minister said he don’t know if athletes go into camping for competitions is not good for Nigeria sports. Camping and preparations for competitions should not be for football alone, such generosity by the sports ministry and the NSC should also be extended to all sports federations in the country.”

AFN Reduces Golden League To Five Series

Athletics Federation of Nigeria has reduced the 2013 AFN/Solid Works Golden League competition from its traditional six legs to five.

According to AFN Technical Officer and national long jump record holder, Yusuf Ali, the changes became necessary holding to the fact that 2013 is World Championship year for athletics. He said with the loaded program of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria this year, cutting it to five became necessary.

 “Yes we use to have six legs but we decided to reduce it to five so as to have enough time to prepare for the national trials in June and also to move into camping for the World championship in August.”
“Events in our programme this year are many and we don’t want anything that will disturb our preparation for the world championship in August. We looked into it and decided to reduce it.”

It would be recall that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, during the first leg of the golden league in Shagamu, Ogun state, announced the reduction of the six leg competition to five with venues also affected by the changers. The second leg which was schedule to hold in Enugu on 27th of April, will now take place in Benin on same date.

After Benin, the golden league train will move to Ilorin for the third leg on the 11th of May while Port Harcourt will host the fourth leg on 25th May. The 2013 AFN/Solid Works Golden League final will be hosted in Warri on 8th June at the Warri City Stadium.

Gbagbeke Opens Season with Golden League Victory

National long jump champion, Stanley Gbagbeke, started his outdoor season ahead of the 2013 World Championships in Moscow with a 7.64m at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria Golden League in Sagamu on Saturday the 13^th April.

Although it was a far cry from his 8.20m personal best he posted at the All Nigeria Open in Calabar last year, the former Middle Tennessee State University long jumper believes it certainly is not a bad way to start the season.

“Not a bad result even though I looked forward to a better result from this first leg of the AFN Golden League here in Sagamu. By the time I do more jumps in the series, I should be in better shape before the World Championships trial in Calabar in June,” observed the Oginibo-born Delta athlete.

Toyin Oladimeji (7.62m) and Babajide Okulaja (7.37m) settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the women hammer, Queen Obisesan came close to equal the national record of 61.27m when she landed 61.03m in her final throw at the Gateway Stadium in Sagamu. The Christabel athlete hope to send the national record to the achieve in the next leg scheduled for April 27 in Benin City. Feyisayo Daramola (57.66m) of the NSCDC and Elizabeth Bello (38.11m) of Eagle Sight Track Club picked the silver and bronze.

National Sports Festival double gold medalist, Aminat Olowora (17.41.71) is fast on the heels of runners from the Plateau region as she placed third behind Deborah Pam (17.26.62) and Janet Dung (17.41.17) who won the gold and silver of the women’s 5,000m.

Olajide Abiola won the men’s triple jump event with an uninspiring 15.19m. George Jones (14.62) of Prisons Track Club and Sodipo Busayo (14.14m) of the ICDO highlighted the fallen standard of triple jumpers in the country. They were very far from the 17.22m of national champion in the event, Tosin Oke and the 17.23 m national record set by Ajayi Agbebaku in the mid 1980s.

NSCDC’s Augustin Nwoye got the better part of his pal, Kenechukwu Ezeofor of the Prisons Club to pick the gold medal. Nwoye heaved 47.87m while Ezeofor could only manage 46.98m for the silver. The consolatory bronze went to Osi Sunday Dari (46.02m).

Ex international and former Head Coach, Seigha Porbeni applauded the performance of athletes in the first leg of the golden league.

“I am excited by what I am seeing here. The turnout of athletes is good and of course, as the first leg of the golden league series, I do not expect any one who understands athletics to be looking for any meaningful outing here,” observed Porbeni.

He praised AFN President, Chief Solomon Ogba for bringing back how it used to be in the past. “We are getting back to what it used to be. Our athletes must constantly be kept busy and not allowed to waste,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the next leg of the AFN Golden League has been scheduled to hold in Benin City on April 27, one week before the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race.