Chika
Amalaha, Nigeria’s 2014 Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold medallist
will have her B sample tested on Wednesday after her A sample revealed traces
of banned substances.
Mike Hooper, the Chief
Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said on Tuesday that Amalaha
tested positive for diuretics and masking agents.
Hooper said the B
sample would confirm if the 16-year-old took the banned drugs.
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| CHIKA AMALAHA |
Meanwhile, Tunde
Poopola, the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, in an interview
in Glasgow that the current development was surprising and
regrettable.
“What can we do? We
have to go through the normal process to confirm if actually she took the
banned substances.
“We are going for
sample B testing procedure on Wednesday and that will be in London.
“If the test is
negative, then she will be left off the hook but if it’s positive then she will
face trials and a decision will be taken.
“It’s very surprising
that this is happening now; she is on provisional suspension right now.
“We assume we don’t
have for now the gold she won on Friday in the women’s weightlifting 53kg
class,’’ Poopola said.
Also, Tony Ubani, the
Public Relation Officer of NOC, who resides in the Games Village, confirmed that Amalaha was still in the camp but would
lose the privilege if the B sample tested positive.
Ubani said that apart
from the gold she won which had been provisionally withheld, every other thing
stands pending the outcome of tomorrow’s result from London.
He also said that
Amalaha would be stripped of the gold medal she won if the B sample tested
positive.
It would be recalled that
two Nigerian weightlifters tested positive to banned substances at the 2010
Commonwealth Games in New
Delhi, India and their medals were withdrawn.
The athletes are Damola
Osayemi and Folashade Abugan.
Fifteen weightlifters
comprising seven females and eight males are representing Nigeria in the weightlifting events at the ongoing Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow. (NAN)
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