Sports
IAAF Awards Retrieved Gold To Okoro
The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) has awarded the Shot Put gold medal retrieved from banned Vivian Chukwuemeka to her compatriot, Chinwe Okoro.
Chukwuemeka had at the 18th Senior Africa Athletics Championships in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin, won the medal with a throw of 18.86m.
But she was banned and stripped of the gold medal after she tested positive to a banned substance.
The Technical Director, Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, said the IAAF in a letter dated Jan. 31, 2013, to the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), stripped Chukwuemeka of the gold medal.
The letter reads: “Considering the IAAF notification to CAA, dated January 31, 2013, informing the CAA about the sanction which was pronounced on the Nigerian athlete, Vivian Chukwuemeka, for positive doping test.
“Considering that June 21, 2012 the date on which the sanction started is previous to the 18th Senior African Championships of Porto Novo in which Vivian Chukwuemeka took part, she is stripped of the gold medal’’.
Nesiama said the AFN was ordered to recover the gold medal won by Chukwuemeka and hand it over to Okoro, who was second with a throw of 16.21m.
He said that with the development, the new classification of medals were gold for Chinwe Okoro, while Omotayo Talabi another Nigerian, now holds the silver medal.
He said that the CAA asked the AFN to give back the bronze medal to the CAA, to be awarded to Dongmo Auriole, a Cameroonian athlete.
The record of 18.48m won by Chukwuemeka at the Walnut Games on April 19, 2003, however, still remains the African record for women’s shot put.
Nesiama told Tidesports that the withdrawal of the gold medal from Chukwuemeka had not affected the country’s position as the best in Africa.
He said that after all, it was awarded to her compatriot and the country ranked first and second.
“To me, it has not really affected our position as the champions of Africa.
“We lost Chukwuemeka’s medal, but it is still okay because we did not lose as the gold and silver medal are still in the country,’’ he said.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
