Athletics / News / Olympics / Sports

Minister sets up panel to probe disqualification of 10 Nigerian athletes in Tokyo

Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, has set up a panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disqualification of 10 Nigerian athletes at the just concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Team Nigeria finished in the 74th position on the overall table and sixth best in Africa with a silver and a bronze medal at the end of the Games. The country’s participation was nearly marred by controversies arising from disqualification of athletes over non-compliance with anti-doing rules and the provisional suspension placed on Nigeria’s top sprinter, Blessing Okagbare.

“I have ordered a full investigation that will not only uncover what happened, but will also recommend a process where such lapses can never occur in the future and initiate leveraging compliance monitoring technology to guardrail this,” Dare stated yesterday in a press release made available to The Guardian. He continues: “First is the mishap resulting in 10 Team Nigeria athletes being ruled ineligible to compete for missing their mandatory Out of Competition Test (OTC). When notice of this ruling got to me, I immediately mobilized my team and the AFN leadership to see how the situation could be salvaged. We mounted a vigorous appeal process with Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and had the team members complete the tests. However, timing became the critical issue. Despite our energetic appeal, the deciding committee made its announcement, which gave no latitude to our team members for what was only an inadvertent lapse.

Dare accepted “some institutional responsibility for this lapse,” adding, however, “I also had to depend and expect that each person, in the long and often technical chain, will perform their role expeditiously, and with precision. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line someone failed in their responsibility and as minister, I bear the responsibility and brunt of criticism. But that is not enough. I must move to ensure that Nigeria never experiences another such moment.

“I have personally apologized to the affected athletes. Here and now, I personally apologize to all Nigerians for this ineligibility episode. The AFN has also taken responsibility and apologized to the …

Olympics / Sports / Tennis

Another Semi-final for Djokovic

It has been a very busy day for Novak Djokovic. After winning his men’s singles semi-final earlier in the day, he has also reached the final four of the mixed doubles competition along with his partner Nina Stojanovic. You can reach more about the world number one’s busy day.

Novak Djokovic picked up a comfortable win over Kei Nishikori on Thursday to qualify for the men’s tennis semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In the quarter-finals of the competition, the Serb beat his Japanese opponent 6-2, 6-0 in a match that lasted 70 minutes at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo.…

Covid 19 / Foreign / News

COVID-19: Olympians from six countries to take pre-departure tests for seven days

The Japanese Government has asked participants at the Tokyo Olympic Games from six South Asian countries to take COVID-19 tests daily for seven days prior to their departure for Japan.

Japan’s state broadcaster NHK said on Sunday that athletes and all other members of delegations from India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will face stricter counter-measures.

It added that this was because of the spreading Delta variant, which was first identified in India.

NHK also said the measures would take effect on Thursday.

Participants from these countries have already been required to be vaccinated before entering Japan, which is not a pre-condition for athletes from other delegations.

All overseas teams should have members tested twice within four days prior to departure, and every day in principle after arriving in Japan.

The latest step also requires participants from Egypt, Vietnam, Malaysia, Britain and Bangladesh to be tested every day for three days prior to departure.…

Sports / Tennis

Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon and the Olympics

World number three Rafael Nadal has pulled out of this month’s Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who won the Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2010, says he needs to “recuperate after a long clay-court season”.

“It’s never an easy decision but after listening to my body and discussing it with my team I understand that it is the right decision,” said the Spaniard.

“The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy.”

The 35-year-old added: “That is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition.

Nadal hinted at the decision after his defeat by Serbia’s world number one Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals last week.

If defending champion Djokovic wins the title at the All England Club, it will move him level with the record shared by Nadal and Switzerland’s Roger Federer of 20 men’s major singles titles.

Nadal said the shorter turnaround between the French Open and Wimbledon was a key factor in his decision.

This year, there are only two weeks between the French Open finishing on the clay and Wimbledon starting on the grass. Usually, there are three weeks between the two majors.

The French Open was pushed back a week by Roland Garros organisers in order to start the tournament with fewer of the country’s coronavirus restrictions in place – including allowing fans in to watch.

“The fact that there has only been two weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay-court season,” Nadal said in a Twitter post announcing the news.

“They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused looking at the mid and long term.”

Nadal struggled with a back injury earlier this year, playing only the Australian Open – where he lost in the quarter-finals – before the clay-court season started in mid-April.

On his favourite surface …