Thursday, March 28, 2024

Full doping control at 5th Okpekpe Road Race

 Organisers of the fifth Okpekpe international 10km road race say there  will be full doping control during the race scheduled to hold in a  forthnight at  Okpekpe, Edo state.
 Spokesman for the race Dare Esan reveals that provision has been made  for a full doping control for the event  which the International  Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has  classified as the only international  competition/road race in Nigeria in  2017.
 ‘All tests shall be conducted in  accordance with the IAAF anti-doping  regulations.There will be mandatory and  requested tests.The mandatory  tests are those that the organisers must conduct at its  expense and includes the  minimum four that must be done as a  bronze label event viz two men and  two women as a mixed  gender race and of course those that  must be conducted in the event a world record or area record is broken  ,’said Esan who assured of the  organisers’  preparedness to ensure a clean  competition come Saturday May 13.
 ‘The testing kits needed for effective  anti-doping in accordance with  IAAF anti-doping rules have arrived.We  have a doping station built in Okpekpe for the  race.This is where the sample collection session will be conducted by  doping control officers who have been  trained and authorized by the  Nigeria anti-doping  agency with delegated responsibility  for the on-site management of  sample collection session.We also have  Dr Akin Amao,one of Nigeria’s  foremost sports  medicine practitioners as the chief  anti-doping officer for the race.” ‘We are ready for the race and those  who qualified to be called elite  athletes based on the times they have  returned in the last 24 months  are the ones open  to testing.Those running for fun or  charity are excluded.We have also  advised athletes with illnesses or  conditions that require the use of  medication listed  on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s  Prohibited List to apply for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) with  the relevant agency before coming for the race,’said  Esan.
 The Okpekpe international 10km road  race is the only road race in
 Nigeria that is recognised by both the  IAAF and Association of  International Marathons and
 Distance Races (AIMS) because its race  course has been measured by an  accredited measurer using the approved  calibrated method.
 The race is organised by Pamodzi Sports  Marketing,leaders in sports  marketing and hospitality business in  Nigeria.
  This year’s race which will hold in  Okpekpe,a town in Etsako East  Local Government Area of Edo State,  Nigeria. It is located about 25  kilometres northeast  of Auchi.

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