‘Doping, Common Athletes’ Problem’

A former All African Games
female 100m Champion, Tina Iheagwam, has said that the incessant occurrence of doping in the life of an athlete in major competitions was not a surprise.
Iheagwam made the remark in an interview with newsmen in Lagos against the backdrop of Nigeria’s weight lifter, Chika Amalaha, currently caught in a doping controversy.
She said that doping was common among athletes especially during training but added that some took it as medication not knowing the implications.
“But they should know that when they go out for competition they shouldn’t be using all those things because at a stage I believe they have worked hard enough to be strong.
“So it is a sad story but what can we do, and just unfortunate, Nigeria is not the only one that is using that hard drug.
“Other countries do but at least the person they caught is just unfortunate, I am really sorry for that girl.”
Amalaha, who had won a gold medal in the 53kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Scotland, was found to have taken a banned substance after a test.
The 16-year old weight lifter has been provisionally suspended pending the results of a ‘B’ sample after traces of diuretics and masking agents were found in her sample an in-competition test.