Nigeria’s African Games lightweight champion, Cynthia Ogunsemilore, has strongly denied recent doping allegations that have cast a shadow over her Olympic aspirations.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) provisionally suspended Ogunsemilore after she tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide, a substance commonly used as a masking agent. The sample in question was taken on Friday, July 26.
Ogunsemilore, a promising southpaw and one of Africa’s top medal hopefuls for the Paris Olympics, has firmly rejected the allegations. Speaking to me in a telephone interview from Paris, she declared, “This looks like a set up to tarnish my image and deny me a chance to win Olympic gold. I have never doped in my life. Maybe they mistook my sample with somebody else’s, but not me.”
Despite the provisional suspension, Ogunsemilore remains at the Games Village, preparing to fight the charges. She has demanded another test to clear her name, expressing confidence in her innocence. “They want to ruin my career,” she said. “I’m still in the Games Village and tonight there’s a hearing during which I’ll explain to them I have not taken anything, and they can test me again to prove them wrong.”
Adura Olalehin, Nigeria’s coach in Paris and a former light-heavyweight bronze medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, has yet to comment on the situation. Sources suggest that he is working tirelessly to support Ogunsemilore and demonstrate her innocence.
The outcome of the hearing and any subsequent tests will determine whether Ogunsemilore can continue her quest for Olympic gold. Her supporters back home and across the continent await the results, hoping for a resolution that allows this talented boxer to showcase her skills on the world stage.
