Athletics: Nigeria in age-fraud again

Ogba...another fraud in our hands

For the umpteenth time, the nation’s officials in charge of athletics have perpetrated all manners of fraud in a bid to win at all cost a championship they are not bound to win despite its developmental badge.

The African Youth Athletics Championship (AYAC 2013) starting in Warri today is tainted already with fraudulent but deliberate representation by the nation. Four specific cases will suffice.

1.            Divine Oduduru: This is a 100m athlete. The nation is made to believe he is 15 years of age. He is reputed to be running 10.05seconds. We are also made to believe he is an SSS 3 student of West End Mixed Secondary School, Asaba. These facts can be true but what is not true includes the following. In 2011, this same athlete competed in this same category of championship. His birth record in that championship is 14/05/94 (17 years then). His birth record for the AYAC 2013 ironically shares the same day and month but he’s growing younger! He is still 17 in 2013. His current record is 14/05/96.

2.            Ismaila Yusuf: He is of Ekiti state stock. He competed in 2011 at the same category of championship. What happened to the old rule where youth athletes are not allowed to compete twice in the same category? His past and current records are obscure. Suspicion is rife that he must have enjoyed the sane age retrogression Oduduru enjoyed.

3.            Sarah Kadiri: She is so lucky, Her age is by what is in the public domain 06.12.1993. but the same athlete being smuggled to compete in AYAC 2013 has a new age left at 12/06/95. She has also grown younger by two years plus! She competed in 2011 where she ran 100m. by her official age, she is 18 years. By her other official age, she is 20+.

4.            Temidayo Osibanjo: This is a Heptathlete. She is a graduate of Isolo Girls Secondary school, class of 2008. She was 12^th in the 2010 Mobil championships. She is presently a graduate of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. Yet, she is 17 years of age. Assuming she enter primary school as a three year old. Assuming she jumped from class five to secondary school. She would have been 8 years. She spent six years in secondary school, she would have left at 14. By this logic, she would have been born in 1994. By the same logic, she should be 19 years.