…As foundation takes drug war to schools

Following the recent additional one year ban slammed on Olympics silver medalist, Blessing Okagbare by the Athletics Integrity Committee, Olympic gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa (MON) has advised Nigerians to be sympathetic with the sprinter instead of castigating her. Okagbare was in February banned for ten years over drug related issues and a fortnight ago added an additional one year ban on her, and the Atlanta 96 Olympics gold medalist believes that she deserves all the support of all Nigerians in her trying period. “It’s disheartening that when we’re expecting that the ten year ban will be reduced, an additional one year ban was added to it.

This situation is a really sad one because it has not only ended her career but will prevent her from involvement in any sporting activities. ” You know I was once a victim and I understand the psychological trauma it has on athletes and that’s why am appealing to Nigerians to support her at this trying period”, concluded the Assistant Commissioner of Police. Meanwhile, as part of activities marking this year’s International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, Chioma Ajunwa Youth Network, foundation has organised a sensitisation workshop for select private schools in Lagos. The event which took place at the Secretariat of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) , Lagos chapter drew some resource persons who took time to lecture the students on dangers inherent in drug use as sportsmen and women as well as the social,psychological and mental effects of drugs.

Ajunwa in her address adviced the students to shun the temptation of dealing in drugs and influence of peer groups in the usage or trafficking in hard drugs or using banned steroids to improve their performance in sports, reminding them that the punishment is always severe and it can ruin the person’s life and career. According to her, the workshop became necessary because research has shown that more than 80% of drug users are youths and many of them pick the habit in schools because of peer group pressure , warning them to beware of such influences. ‘ We decided to take the fight to schools because research has shown that youths and teenagers can easily be lured to take or traffic in drugs without them being aware of the repercussions.

Drugs has ruined a lot of people and cut short the careers of many sports men and women and that’s why we decided to take the war to secondary schools’, she explained. Programme Director of the foundation and former President of Nigeria Olympians Association, Henry Amike while expressing happiness at the turnout of the schools and the enthusiasm expressed by the students posited that logistics prevented the foundation from including public schools in the campaign but was optimistic that future editions will involve both students from private and public schools.

The resource persons who were drawn from National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLA), National Agency For Food , Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC), Military and paramilitary agencies as well as Olympians took time to admonish the students on the need to shun drugs, reminding them that the global community is doing everything to check the menace of drugs in the society with some countries using capital punishment to fight the menace.

21st FINA World Championships, Doha 2024 gets date

FINA has announced that the 21st FINA World Championships Doha 2024 will take place from 2-18 February 2-18 2024 in Doha, Qatar, following a decision by FINA and the Doha 2024 Local Organising Committee. The 21st FINA World Championships Doha 2024 were originally scheduled for the summer of 2023. However, due to the rescheduling of the 20th FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, to the summer of 2023 necessitated a change in the Doha event dates. The Qatari capital will host FINA’s flagship event for the very first time after successfully hosting multiple FINA events over recent years, including the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2014, nine editions of the FINA Swimming World Cup, four FINA Marathon Swim World Series events and a FINA Diving World Series event in 2009. With 76 medal events taking place across the six FINA disciplines of swimming, artistic swimming, open water swimming, diving, high diving and water polo, Doha will provide an ideal setting for the world’s best aquatics competition. It will also serve as a stop on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, providing qualification opportunities for the swimming, artistic swimming, open water swimming, diving, and water polo disciplines.

“At FINA, we are committed to giving athletes additional opportunities to compete on the championship stage. Today’s announcement is a testament to this. We are extremely fortunate to have an event host in Doha that shares our passion for aquatics with the willingness and flexibility to organise this prestigious event to the benefit of aquatics athletes everywhere,” said FINA President Husain Al-Musallam. “The city’s world-class facilities will ensure that the athletes can perform at the highest level, inspiring the next generation of aquatics fans.” Swimming, artistic swimming and water polo will take place in the Aspire Dome, with the venue transforming from the world’s largest indoor multi-sport arena into the world’s largest indoor aquatics venue. With sustainability and accessibility at the heart of the event, the diving competitions will be at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, an indoor venue 200m from Aspire Dome, with the high diving and open water swimming competitions set to take place in the nearby Museum of Islamic Art.

Okocha speaks as StarTimes Supports Bundesliga Community Project

Football Legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has joined forces with Bundesliga to discover a budding talent capable of stepping into his shoes. Okocha said this on Saturday at the opening ceremony of a new 5-aside football pitch in Lagos built by Bundesliga, the topmost German Football league that airs exclusively on StarTimes. Jay Jay Okocha became an instant household name in Germany when he scored one of the most iconic goals in football after a sensational dribble of Oliver Kahn and five defenders before he found the back of the net. In a media chat at the pitch, Okocha stated that he met with the goalkeeper after that game, and emphasised that they remain as friends. “Well, I’ve seen him after that. We are not enemies; we are all just doing our jobs and I’m delighted I scored that goal. It was a goal that introduced me to Europe and it’s still a special goal.”

The new pitch built at LSDPC Estate, Meran Lagos is part of Bundesliga’s programme for global pitch refurbishment activation in support of football, with the novel event tagged “Common Ground”. The Bundesliga legend noted the facility will “keep the youth away from trouble.” He promised to visit the pitch “from time to time. The community also noted the structure will help curb menace while promising to maintain it. “Bundesliga didn’t just put this here. They are exposing us to the world,” a representative of the youth said. According to Public Relations Manager of StarTimes, Lazarus Ibeabuchi, the pitch is one of many developmental projects that StarTimes is in partnership with. “StarTimes realises the huge potential Nigeria has to offer the world.

Thus, as media partners and exclusive broadcaster of Bundesliga in Nigeria, we are committed to see the next Okocha emerge. We are also passionate to see that all Nigerians can afford to enjoy their favourite sports at home. Thus, we have made our football offerings very affordable for all,” Lazarus Ibeabuchi, PR Manager, StarTimes said. Meanwhile, Bundesliga will take a sensational turn in the new season starting in August as Sadio Mane and other top stars join the league. All Bundesliga matches air live and in HD exclusively on StarTimes