TheNewsGuru

Tag: Sprinter

  • Nigerian sprinter, Oduduru handed 6-year ban

    Nigerian sprinter, Oduduru handed 6-year ban

    Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru has been given a six-year ban for breaching two doping violations.

    The Athletics Integrity Union (AIU) on Thursday in a statement said the Nigerian was handed a four-year ban for the possession of prohibited substances/attempted use of a prohibited substance and an additional two years for “aggravating circumstances”.

    The former world junior silver medalist was also ordered to pay $ 3,000 to the World Athletics for its legal fees and other expenses regarding the case.

    Oduduru’s case was linked to that of team-mate, Blessing Okagbare who was banned for 11 years for doping in 2022.

    “We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level,” Brett Clothier, head of the AIU said.

    He was alleged to have been implicated in a WhatsApp message between Okagbare and her supplier, Eric Lira where his compatriot mentioned “Divine” and “we” while discussing.

    “The Athlete has committed ADRVs under Rules 2.6 and 2.2 ADR. The violations shall be considered together as one single first violation,” the statement read.

    “A period of Ineligibility of six (6) years is imposed by the Panel upon the Athlete commencing on the date of the Decision.

    “The period of Provisional Suspension imposed on the Athlete from 9 February 2023 until the date of the decision shall be credited against the total period of Ineligibility.

    “The Athlete’s results from 12 July 2021 until the date that the Provisional Suspension was imposed, on 9 February 2023, shall be disqualified with all resulting consequences including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money.” it said.

    The union  said that Oduduru maintained his innocence throughout the investigation.

  • Pretoria residents react as Pistorius parole fails

    Pretoria residents react as Pistorius parole fails

    South African former professional sprinter and convicted murderer, Oscar Pistorius, has been denied parole and will continue to serve his sentence.

    Pistorius, who was denied parole on Friday (Mar. 31) would have to wait until a new parole hearing next year.

    He had been sentenced in 2017 to 13 years in prison for the 2013 murder of his partner Reeva Steenkamp.

    Pretoria residents react as Pistorius parole fails

    Some South Africans in Pretoria backed the decision by the prison board.

    “Reeva will never come back. Her parents will never have peace, never and I also think, if it was my kid on that situation, I would want that person dead or be in jail,” Lebohang Mokoena shared.

    “I still feel he needs to sit more in prison and serve more in prison so that the rest could learn. Because now if they are releasing people like this on a faster note, it wouldn’t be fair enough for for for South Africans,” Leonard Tshweo reckoned.

    “I feel like he should serve more time because he is not ready to face the world,” Precious Matumba said.

    “You know, now, most most of the people are dying. Most women are been killed everyday. So the justice system is failing us every time.”

    The 36-year-old has always claimed he shot his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day in error after mistaking her for a dangerous intruder.

    Pretoria residents react as Pistorius parole fails

    Steenkamp’s parents still believe he is lying and opposed Pistorius’ application for parole.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that on 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, paralegal and model (Reeva Steenkamp), in his Pretoria home.

    He claimed he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder hiding in the bathroom. He was arrested and charged with murder. At his trial the following year, Pistorius was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of culpable homicide.

    He received a five-year prison sentence for culpable homicide and a concurrent three-year suspended sentence for a separate reckless endangerment conviction.

    Pistorius was temporarily released on house arrest in 2015 while the case was presented on appeal to a panel at the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, which overturned the culpable homicide verdict and convicted him of murder.

    In July 2016, Judge Thokozile Masipa extended Pistorius’s sentence to six years.[17] On appeal by the state for a longer prison sentence, the Supreme Court of Appeal increased the prison term to a total of 15 years.

  • 19-year-old Nigerian sprinter breaks Okagbare’s long standing national record

    19-year-old Nigerian sprinter breaks Okagbare’s long standing national record

    A new kid on the bloc on the athletic scene Favour Ofili has shattered the national record of embattled Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare 200 metres record.

    Ofili broke the record while returning with a blistering 21.96 secs shattering Okagbare’s 22.04 seconds standing since 2018 to become the first collegian athlete to ever go sub 22 secs at Tom Jones Memoria.

    .With the time, she also emerged as the first first Nigerian female to break 22secs in the women’s 200m.

    She has set a new National Record, NCAA Record. Her time is also the fastest in the world this year, the fastest ever in the NCAA and a new School Record.

    On Friday, Favour Ofili powered to World Lead of 21.96s (1.3) to take the women’s 200m at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida, ahead of Kamaya Debose-Epps who ran 22.81secs and Jonah Ross in 22.91secs.

    She is a Nigerian track and field athlete specializing in the 200 metres and 400 metres sprints.

    She is the 2019 African Games silver medalist in the 400 metres. She is also the 2019 African Youth Champion in the 200 and 400 metres

    At just 16, she represented her country at the 2019 World Relays in Yokohama running in the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m relays.

    She was named the female athlete of the meet at the 2019 African U18 and U20 Championships in Athletics after winning both the 200 and 400 meters events. She set personal best times in both her events.

    She finished second behind Patience George at the 2019 Nigerian Championships and ran under 52 sec for the first time in the 400 m.

    She bettered this mark at the African Games finishing second in a personal best of 51.68 s, and thereby qualified for the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha. She anchored the Nigerian team (Kemi Francis, Patience George, Blessing Oladoye, Favour Ofili) to a gold medal in the women’s 4 x 400 m relay at the African Games. This secured a second senior medal for the young athlete.

  • Blessing Okagbare celebrates father at 80

    Blessing Okagbare celebrates father at 80

    Nigerian track and field athlete, Blessing Okagbare, on Monday, hailed her father as he turned 80-year-old.

    Okagbare posted on her Twitter: “Happy 80th Birthday PA. They sure don’t make men like you anymore. You are a good man/ father and I love you dearly.

    “Thank you for being the good man and friend that you are. May the good Lord continue to keep you. Happy Birthday Papa.”

    Okagbare was raised by her father who was a wholesale trader in Benin City area of Edo State, after her parents separated when she was little.

    She also holds the Commonwealth Games 100 Women record for the fastest time in 10.85 seconds.

    Her 100 best record of 10.79 made her the record holder of African history for the event until Murielle Ahouré closed it in 2016.

    The 33-year-old is the current African record holder in the 200 meters with a speed of 22.04 seconds in 2018.

    She was Africa’s 100m long jump in 2010. She also won awards at the All Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays

    In February 2022, the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, handed her a 10-year ban for doping violations.

  • DOPING: Blessing Okagbare reacts to 10-year ban

    DOPING: Blessing Okagbare reacts to 10-year ban

    Nigerian Sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, has reacted to her 10 years ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, saying her lawyers are currently studying it for the next line of action.

    According to AIU statement on Friday, Okagbare was banned for violating anti doping rules and drug related offences during last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

    In her post on Twitter, she said “My attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the AIU regarding its disciplinary panel decision.
    “My lawyers are currently studying it for our next line of action which we will inform you soon.”

    Okagbare, who has an Olympic silver medal in the long jump from the 2008 Beijing Games, was provisionally suspended before the 100 metres semi-finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year.

    The AIU statement explained that the sole arbitrator adjudicating the case concluded that Okagbare’s “use of multiple prohibited substances” was “part of an organised doping regimen in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games.”