By mmn reporter
The National Sports Commission has urged the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to single out the officials responsible for the age falsification of athletes at the 2025 CAA U18/20 Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
World Athletics Integrity Unit in a letter to the AFN queried the ages of two athletes who had submitted different birthdays at two different competitions, the body give the AFN till January 2026 to explain the anomaly.
In a statement Monday the NSC chairman Shehu Dikko said heads must roll at the AFN.
” At a time we are giving no place to age cheat in our Sports, this will not be swept under the carpet I can assure Nigerians. We are determined to get it right from our age grade competitions,” said Dikko
Also, NSC director general Bukola Olapade who had a meeting with the AFN technical director Gabriel Okon and national coaches said official must be held accountable for the many gaffes in track and field.
” We are aware of the query from AIU of World Athletics and for us at the National Sports Commission, this does not paint the AFN in good light and as a Commission we will not hesitate to come out hard on any official and administrator who we find culpable for this embarrassment”.
” We want to make it clear again to all our Sport Federations, coaches and administrators that our resolution at the last Council of Sports meeting in Calabar to clamp down on age issues will not be compromised regardless of who is involved”.
” Youth competitions are for developmental purposes, therefore the win at all cost syndrome must stop and the NSC needs the collaboration of every stakeholder to put this to an end in our Sports”.
The NSC has therefore called on the AFN to swiftly be on top of the AIU issue to clear the country’s name from further embarrassment.
Meanwhile the NSC has dropped two athletes from Team Nigeria camp preparing for the Africa youth Games expected to start this week in Angola, over age discrepancies.