Tosin Adeloye lands 8 Years Ban

Nigerian athletics is in the headlines for some very wrong reasons after a female athlete, 400m runner, Tosin Adeloye, was named among the 12 athletes banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) following various drug offences.

Guardian reports that Adeloye, 20, was handed an eight-year ban after an in-competition test she took at the Warri Relays on July 24, 2015 turned out positive.

The Ekiti State-born athlete, who represented Nigeria at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, will sit out the sport from July 24, 2015 to July 23, 2023.

She also flew the country’s flag at the 11th African Games (AG) in Brazzaville, Congo.

This latest incident adds to the growing list of Nigerian athletes trapped in the global drug rave, amidst the country’s declining fortunes in the sport.

Female thrower, Sorochukwu Ihuefo, was banned for eight years, while Vivian Chukwuemeka, another female thrower, fetched a life ban by the IAAF in 2012, even as five Nigerian athletes, who participated at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville, tested positive to banned substances.

World Athletics has been dogged by widespread cheating amongst athletes, leading to last year’s suspension of Russia by the IAAF.