Gumel Urge Athletes, Coaches To Stay Off Drugs

The Medical & Scientific Commission of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) under the auspices of the Olympic Solidarity began their 3 day Sports Medicine Seminar themed, “Building Blocks of Protection of Clean Athletes Health – Strategy to Actualize the Mandate of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)”, on Thursday, November 19th, 2020 at the Sir Molade OkoyaThomas SportsHall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The programme is tailored to highlight best practices obtainable in sports globally, in accordance with the IOC Medical Commission Guidelines and Medical Resources in the Protection of the Health and Integrity of Clean Athletes. 

President, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel, while addressing over one hundred and fifty coaches, athletes and sports medicines officials, who attended the first session of the workshop, enjoined the participants to take advantage of the learning opportunity in order to further update their wealth of knowledge.

“The continuous support of the Olympic Solidarity has brought positive changes to the nation’s Sports Medicines Administration System. He charged the sports administrators to gear up to a better adaptation of the Olympic Solidarity objectives”, Gumel said.

The chairman, Medical and Scientific Commission, Dr. Festus Odunayo Oshoba, said the seminar became imperative as the International Olympic Committee, IOC, wants to ensure that athletes, coaches, sports physicians, and sports administrators are well informed of the emerging global trend in sports medicine management and administration, hence the reason for the three- day workshop.

Oshoba, said they need to be aware of the necessary measures the IOC had put in place in ensuring that athletes win a particular event without cheating or using drugs to enhance their performances, adding that participating in Olympic Games or other sporting activities was not a do- or die affairs but it’s mandatory for the NOC to organise the workshop in order to further advise athletes not to feature in competitions with a mindset of winning at all cost.

The seminar, which had in attendance Dr. Akin Amao, Professor Tunde Makanju, NOC Secretary-General, Mr. Banji Oladapo among others, will come to a close on Saturday, November 21st, 2020.