The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) under the leadership of Solomon Ogba, has defended its action against Fulbright scholar and winner of two Olympics gold medals, Lee Evans, who was banned from coaching for four years and Abass Rauf who was banned for life.
AFN President, OgbaThe duo were banned after they were found guilty of giving a youth athlete performance enhancing drugs by the AFN Anti-Doping Committee.
The panel headed by Dr. Ken Anugweje, with Femi Ayorinde and Eric Cambell as members and James Eakyns as secretary, discharged and acquitted the third accused Tony Osheku.
The athlete, a minor (name withheld), told the panel that Rauftook her to a medical doctor who injected her with an unknown substance despite the fact that she was not sick.
She claimed she collapsed after the injection and when she was revived, she asked the coach why he brought her to be injected and he said she should have confidence in him that he could not harm her. He also allegedly warned her not to disclose what happened to anyone although she confided in her mother.
She revealed that Evans introduced her to supplements and amino acid and a sport drink when she was in Lagos State training camp.
Osheku told the panel he was not aware that Evans gave the athlete any substance whether prohibited or not.
Evans admitted he gave the athlete supplements (amino acid complete and metaboliq infusions) between February and March 2013.
He tendered the supplements he gave her and concluded that he gave the athlete the substance because women need supplements for their health and that the substance given were not prohibited.
“Rauf was found guilty of administration of prohibited substance to a minor athlete, threatening the athlete not to tell anyone that she was injected without being sick.
“He tried to conceal the truth by lying to the panel thereby attempting to mislead the panel.
“This case is viewed seriously particularly because a minor is involved. He also tried to mislead the panel who therefore recommended a lifetime period of ineligibility with reference to Article 10.3.2 of the code,” said Eakyns, Secretary of the Committee.