Athletics Integrity Unit ( AIU ) reports that 10 Nigerian athletes are ineligible to compete at this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan. The country’s chances of bringing home more medals from the competition are considerably diminished as a result of this choice.

In accordance with Rule 15 of the Anti-Doping Rules for federations classed as ‘Category A,’ the athletes were found to have failed to comply with the bare minimum testing requirements set out in the rule.

“Category A” federations are those that are regarded to have the highest rate of doping and to constitute a threat to the overall integrity of the sport, according to the International Olympic Committee.

A news release was issued by the independent Athletics Integrity Unit ( AIU ), which is in charge of regulating all issues of integrity, including doping and non-doping cases, in athletic competitions.

AIU reports that Nigeria tops the list of 18 athletes who have been declared ineligible to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, with a total of ten competitors from the country participating in the games.

According to Rule 15 of the International Olympic Committee, “An athlete from a ‘Category A’ country must submit to at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) conducted not more than three weeks apart in the ten months before to a major event,” according to the IOC.

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The only other opportunity for them to represent their country’s national team at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games in their respective sports would be at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympics.

The Anti-Doping Agency’s website states that despite the fact that Nigeria has had no major doping occurrences, the country was placed in Category A at the start of 2020 because it had maintained low domestic testing numbers for a lengthy period, according to the website.

David Howman, Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has called on governments to play a more active role in the fight against doping in sport.