TheNewsGuru

Tag: Ban

  • American coach gets 4-year ban for doping violations

    American coach gets 4-year ban for doping violations

    American Alberto Salazar, who has coached some of the world’s top distance runners including British multiple Olympic and world champion Mo Farah, has been banned for four years for doping violations.

    The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said Salazar’s punishment was for “orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct” as head coach of the Nike Oregon Project (NOP).

    The project was a camp designed primarily to develop U.S. endurance athletes.

    The 61-year-old was quickly stripped of his accreditation for the world athletics championships in Doha by the sport’s governing IAAF at the request of the U.S. track and field federation.

    Salazar said he would appeal USADA’s decision, and sportswear giant Nike said in a statement that it would stand by him.

    “I am shocked by the outcome today,” Salazar said in a statement. “My athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from USADA.”

    “The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping. I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true. I will not be commenting further at this time.”

    On Tuesday, Farah said he was relieved that the investigation was over. “I have no tolerance for anyone who breaks the rules or crosses a line,” he said.

    UK athletics said in a statement that its own investigation in 2015, which cleared Farah to work with Salazar, was specific.

    “The clearance was restricted to the interaction of the Nike Oregon Project with Mo Farah and not an anti-doping investigation.”

    Salazar stopped coaching Farah in 2017 when the runner decided to move back to England.

    Farah said at the time that the doping investigation was not the reason they parted ways.

    USADA said that Salazar, who also coached American Olympian Matthew Centrowitz among other top distance runners, trafficked banned performance-enhancing substance testosterone to multiple athletes.

    Salazar also tampered or attempted to tamper with NOP athletes’ doping control process, the agency said after concluding its four-year investigation.

    Jeffrey Brown, who worked as a paid consultant endocrinologist for NOP on performance enhancement and served as a physician for numerous athletes in the training programme, also received a four-year ban.

    Several members of NOP are competing in the world championships, including newly-crowned 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan.

    “I am shocked to receive the news of today’s ruling, especially during this time in which I am fully preparing for my next race in the world championships in Doha,” the Dutch runner said in a statement.

    “I like to state that this investigation is focused on the period before I joined the Oregon Project and therefore has no relation to me.

    “I was aware of the ongoing investigations when I joined the team and have always had a clean conscience, knowing we are being monitored to the absolute fullest by USADA and WADA.”

    None of the athletes Salazar has worked with were mentioned in Monday’s report.

    “The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth,” Travis Tygart, USADA chief executive officer, said in a statement.

    “While acting in connection with the Nike Oregon Project, Salazar and Brown demonstrated that winning was more important than the health and well-being of the athletes they were sworn to protect.”

    Salazar said that Tygart’s comment was misleading and he had never put winning above the athletes’ safety.

    “This is completely false and contrary to the findings of the arbitrators, who even wrote about the care I took in complying with the World Anti-Doping code,” he said.

    Nike which funds NOP, the nation’s most elite long-distance running training centre in Portland, said it would support Salazar’s appeal.

    NOP is under a 460 million dollars 26-year sponsorship deal with US Track and Field.

    “Today’s decision had nothing to do with administering banned substances to any Oregon Project athlete.

    “As the panel noted, its members were struck by the amount of care Alberto took to ensure he was complying with the World Anti-Doping code,” it said.

    “Nike does not condone the use of banned substances in any manner.”

    Salazar was a celebrated distance runner, winning three consecutive New York City marathons starting in 1980.

  • NFF reinstates Salisu after bribery ban

    The Nigeria Football Federation has reinstated Salisu Yusuf to the national team after serving a one-year ban for receiving bribe.

    The NFF made this known in a press statement by its spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Thursday.

    Salisu was in August 2018 caught on camera accepting cash from men who posed as football agents to select two players for his Morocco 2018 African Nations Championship squad.

    He was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 by the federation after the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee ruled that the coach received $1,000 from the men.

    Though the NFF didn’t state that Salisu would take over as the Eagles coach, the federation bade coach Imama Amapakabo farewell.

    Imama was Salisu’s assistant in the U-23 national team and the CHAN team before the ban.

    In the absence of Salisu, Imama led the U-23 Eagles to qualify for the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Sudan 5-0 in Asaba on Tuesday.

    With Salisu’s return, Imama is expected to return to his position as an assistant coach of the U-23 team.

    Announcing Salisu’s return on Thursday, NFF said, “The federation has noted that the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, has now fully served the one-year suspension clamped on him last year.

    “The federation thanked coach Imama Amapakabo for his sterling efforts while in charge of the U-23 National Team in the absence of the suspended Yusuf, and for eventually seeing to the team’s qualification for the U-23 AFCON.”

  • FG considers banning importation of Barite

    FG considers banning importation of Barite

    The federal government is considering banning the importation of barite by unbundling it from mud contractors in the industry.

    Barite and bentonite calcium carbonate is the primary key raw materials found in Nigeria for oil and gas drilling.

    It is used in Germany for road construction, as paints for ships and in x-ray production.

    Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said that local producers of barites will have to first guarantee that they can match the imported quality, price purchased internationally and meet the high demands required by companies in the country.

    He said that this can be found under the local content clause of the Executive order 5 signed by Mr. President and if local producers can match the barite requirements of the country, importation of barite will be banned.

    Adegbite spoke on Thursday in Abuja when he met with members of the Association of Barite Miners and Processors in Nigeria.

    He said: “We need empirical proof of the barite deposits so I am assuming that you are in possession of the data from the Nigerian Mining Corporation that can tell us and tell us some efforts and resources instead of looking for barites all over again, if you do we will welcome it and support you.

    “I will be willing to go the whole up with you to make sure we create the enabling environment to ensure we protect the local industry, ones we are sure that it is a material that can be used and you are able to meet the needs, we will compell this people to buy from you.”

    National President of the association, Stephen Alao, pleaded with the ministers to unbundle barite from the mud contractors who down place the price of barite and increase the price of the imported components needed by local operators.

    He said: “Barite and bentonite calcium carbonate is the primary key raw materials found in Nigeria for oil and gas drilling.

    “There is no substitute for barites in drilling operations but we are having numerous challenges from engaging the big companies who principally are the owners of the companies in Nigeria, they give out the contract as a combined product, so they will down place the price of barite in the drilling mud and increase the price of the imported components.

    “One of the principal things we need done is to unbundle barite from the mud contractors.

    “Nigeria has the largest known deposit of barite in Africa. We know that if the sector is unbundled the issue of price will not be an issue because the price of barite has not changed in the past 15 years, we are the producers of barite, they will tell you what they want to pay.

    “The quality of Barite in Nigeria has been proven to be the best because we have engaged international agencies to ascertain the quality of what we have in Nigeria.

    “In terms of trying to find data, a lot of money has been sunk in by this ministry in terms of exploring barite deposits but some of this information is already out there. “

  • Ban on procession applies only to IMN – Police

    Ban on procession applies only to IMN – Police

    The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed that the ban on procession across the country only applies to members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

    The Police also noted that other Muslims across the country are at liberty to carry out the annual “Ashura” procession.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the Force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Frank Mba to clarify Police stance on the ban.

    The statement reads: “Following the deluge of enquiries concerning the ban on procession on the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), it has become absolutely imperative to clarify that the ban on processions is applicable to members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria only.

    “Against this backdrop, Muslims marking the commemoration of “Ashura” throughout the country along with other Muslims across the world are free to carry out the annual “Ashura” procession.

    “They should however do so within the confines of the law and guard against infiltration by unscrupulous elements who may want to take advantage of the event to cause disruption of public peace, order and security.”

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, has also directed all Commissioners of Police and their respective supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in Commands and Zones to ensure that non-IMN Muslims are not in any way restricted from exercising their freedom of religion, worship and peaceful assembly.

    The IGP also urged members of the public to be calm and go about their lawful businesses as the Force is doing all within its capacity to ensure there is no breach of the peace, law and order anywhere in the country.

  • EPL: Chelsea ban fan for life over racial abuse

    English Premiership League side, Chelsea has banned a supporter for life for hurling racial abuse at players during last season’s Premier League home match against Manchester City, the club said on Tuesday.
    City’s Raheem Sterling was a target of abuse from fans near the touch line during the game, in an incident widely covered in the news for highlighting lingering racism among football fans despite years of efforts to stamp it out.
    Chelsea had banned four supporters from matches last year pending an investigation into alleged racial abuse.
    “One individual has been permanently excluded from Stamford Bridge for the use of racially abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour,” Chelsea said in a statement.
    Five others were handed suspensions of one to two years for “abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour” in City’s 2-0 defeat in December last year.
    “Individuals receiving the shorter exclusion did so on the basis that they have provided undertakings about their future behaviour.”
    Although the Crown Prosecution Service said they would not be initiating criminal prosecutions, Chelsea decided to ban the supporter.
    “The club took into account the denial made by the individual as well as a range of other evidence, including video evidence and evidence from two lip reading experts – both of whom advised that the individual had used words that are racially abusive.”

  • Suicide: Senate demands immediate ban of production, importation, circulation of sniper

    The Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to ban the production, importation or circulation of snipers insecticide ,a product currently used to commit suicide.
    This followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Theodore Orji (PDP-Abia) and 15 others on the rising incidence of suicides among Nigerians.
    Orji, while making his presentation noted with grave concern, the rising cases of suicide ,particularly among young Nigerians.
    He said suicide could be prevented particularly when family, friends and close relatives of the person contemplating suicide provided support ,either by way of encouragement, listening to them or removing means of committing suicide such as dangerous drugs and chemicals especially sniper.
    He also said that it is worrisome that the number of Nigerians taking their lives had assumed a frightening dimension , saying that government, religious institutions and other relevant corporate bodies have not addressed the ugly situation in the country.
    He said the situation may continue, if not properly addressed.
    Orji said that there is need to create awareness on how to control stress and depression by government, religious institutions and other relevant corporate bodies and the establishment of trauma centres across the federation.
    This,he said would also reduce the rate of suicide in the country.
    Contributing , Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi (Ekiti) said the issue of suicide was more of a sociological issue that has to do with depression, mental issues and ultimately poverty.
    He said the senate must interface with the executive to address the challenges in the economy by creating opportunities for employment via industrialisation and agriculture.
    Contributing, Sen.Rochas Okorocha (APC-Imo) said many Nigerians were committing suicide because they were not happy.
    He said the government should find out why people were not happy and why they were talking their lives.
    Okorocha, therefore advocated for the creation of a government Department or Ministry of Happiness to address the problem.
    Adopting the motion, the senate also urged the federal government through the Ministry of Information, National Orientation Agency (NOA),Ministry of Health to create awareness on how to control stress and depression.
    The senate also urged the federal government through the National Universities Commission (NUC) to review the school curriculum and come up with compulsory courses that would enable students place value on their lives.
    It also urged religious bodies across the federation to always preach love, peace and how to relieve stress and depression.
    The senate also said there was need to engage the executive to expand its special intervention programme of to leverage on extant schemes like the N-Power in creating economic opportunities for the vulnerable people

  • Presidency denies ban of Almajiri System of Education in Nigeria

    The Presidency on Friday dismissed media report that the Federal Government had concluded arrangements to ban the Almajiri system of education.

    The Almajiri system of education is a form of Qur’anic learning system associated with begging on economic and religious grounds peculiar to some Northern states.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja, however, said that the prescription of the Almajiri system had remained an objective of the Buhari administration.

    ”The Presidency, therefore, calls for caution in responses to the pronouncements by President Muhammadu Buhari on free and compulsory basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age in Nigeria, during his speech on Thursday, June 20, at the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC).

    ”The Presidency notes that while the Buhari administration is committed to free and compulsory education as a long-term objective of bringing to an end, the phenomenon of out-of-school children, any necessary ban on Almajiri would follow due process and consultation with relevant authorities.

    ”Indeed, the Federal government wants a situation where every child of primary school age is in school rather than begging on the streets during school hours.

    ”At the same time, we don’t want to create panic or a backlash,” he said.

    The presidential aide, therefore, frowned at reports that there were plans for massive arrest of parents who denied their children basic education, saying that such reports were definitely out of place.

    ”Things have to be done the right and considerate way.

    ”Free and compulsory primary school education is a requirement of the Nigerian constitution and any individual or group not in compliance with this is violating the law of the land and liable to be punished,” he said.

    Shehu, who referred to Buhari’s inaugural speech of the NEC) on Thursday, said the president stated that the country’s children have rights and must be given their due rights and protection under the law.

    According to him, as many have stated in their views, the Almajiri phenomenon represents a security challenge and a scar on the face of Northern Nigeria.

    ”In that speech, the President said: “On education, I want to stress in particular the need to take very seriously and enforce very rigorously the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education.

    ”Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended places on all of us here an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education.

    “Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.

    ‘‘It is indeed a crime for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period. In my view, when a government fails to provide the schools, teachers and teaching materials necessary for basic education, it is actually aiding and abetting that crime.

    “This is, therefore, a call to action. I would like to see every Governor rise from this meeting and rally his local Government Chairmen towards ensuring that our schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum.

    ‘‘If we are able to do this, the benefits will surely manifest themselves.”

    He, therefore, observed that the statement by President Buhari ”is well within the law of Nigeria.

    ”But in addition to relevant consultations, State governors need to put in place structures like schools and educational materials for pupils; otherwise, they also, are complicit in violating the law of the land”.

  • Ban on rallies, processions in Kano still in force – Police

    The Kano State Police Command, said on Friday that the ban on all forms of rallies, processions, demonstration or assembly in the state was still in force.

    This was contained in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Abdullahi Haruna issued to newsmen in Kano.

    He said that the command found it necessary to reissue the order, to prevent any breach of the peace.

    “The order is aimed at preventing and averting any threat, breach of the peace or break down of law and order in the face of various security challenges in the State.
    “This is to assure a lasting peace and unity in the State. Any person or group of persons found engaging in any unlawful assembly will be arrested and prosecuted in a court of law”.

    NAN recalls that the command had on June 8, banned rallies, demonstrations, processions or assemblies in the state until further notice.

    The order was issued following the tension generated over a query issued to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, over alleged misappropriation of N3.4 billion by the Emirate Council.

  • Just in: Covering of faces banned in Sri Lanka

    Just in: Covering of faces banned in Sri Lanka

    Following the death of about two hundred and fifty, (250), people in the Easter attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, President Maithripala Sirisena, Monday banned the covering of faces for easy identification.

    He said he was using an emergency law to impose the restriction from Monday. According to him, “Any face garment which hinders identification will be banned to ensure security”.

    His orders were criticized by Muslim leaders. However, days after the attack, Sri Lankan government mounted enough security to secure the nooks and crannies of the country.

    Over the weekend thousands of Sri Lankan troops stood guard on the streets, protecting churches and mosques.

    Nigerian, African churches boom in London Sunday church services were cancelled across the country as a precaution, but worshippers in the capital gathered to pray outside St Anthony’s Shrine, which was badly damaged in the attacks.

    Report from BBC has it that the number of people arrested in connection with the killings rose to 150. Security personnel’s are also hunting for around 140 followers of the jihadist group Islamic State.

    The jihadist group Islamic State were accused of being behind the attacks.

  • UEFA handed three-match ban to Neymar for x-rated rant on officials

    Paris Saint-Germain forward, Neymar, has been banned from participating in three European matches after insulting the referees who officiated his club’s exit to Manchester United at the rounds-of-16 of the UEFA Champions League in March.

    It could be recalled that Neymar lashed out at referee Damir Skomina after he adjudged Presnel Kimpembe to have handled the ball in the area, after consulting Video Assistant Referees (VAR).

    Marcus Rashford went on to score the penalty to make the result 3-1 in favour of Manchester United.

    Neymar further took to his social media page and wrote: “This is a disgrace, they put four people that know nothing about football in charge of looking at the replay for VAR.

    “There is no penalty.

    “How can it be a handball when it hits his back! Go f**k yourselves!.”

    The UEFA Disciplinary Committee’s ruling means Neymar will miss three of the matches in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League next season.