NSC Director General Bukola Olopade

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced the disqualification of six athletes from the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, Gateway Games 2024, over doping violations.

In a decisive move to uphold integrity in sports, the NSC confirmed that the affected athletes are currently serving doping bans and are therefore ineligible to compete or win medals at the festival.

Among those banned are celebrated Nigerian boxers Cynthia Ogunsemilore and Dolapo Omole, who had been registered to represent Bayelsa State in kickboxing despite their ongoing suspension.

Ogunsemilore, a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and African Games champion, tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic, during an out-of-competition test ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers.

NSC Director General Bukola Olopade stated that the commission is strictly enforcing anti-doping protocols in line with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.

“The issue of anti-doping is one important mandate of the Commission to ensure that Nigeria is free of drug-related scandals at both domestic and international competitions,” Olopade said.

“We are glad that the National Anti-Doping Act has been signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The impact of this legislation is already being felt, starting with this sports festival.”

The commission reiterated that all participating states must ensure their athletes are clean, as anyone flagged for doping will be automatically barred from the competition.