Doping- Nigerian Paralympian Bags Four Year Ban From IPC

The International Paralympic Committee has handed a four year ban to Nigerian Paralympic champion, Esther Oyema for after she committed an anti-doping rule violation.

Oyema, who won gold at London 2012 Olympics in the women’s 48kg, returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance in a urine sample provided on January 28, 2019 after competing at the Lagos 2019 International Para-Powerlifting event in Nigeria.

As a result of the violation, Oyema will be out of competition for four years from May 3, 2019 to May 2, 2023, the IPC stated on its website.

IPC said “Each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample. An ADRV occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in his or her bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault,”

“As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code, the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels.

The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code (the Code) to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.”

The substance found in Oyema’s urine sample was 19-norandrosterone. The substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency 2019 Prohibited List under the class S1.1B Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and their Metabolites and isomers.

Meanwhile, she has been stripped of the gold medal which she won in the women’s 55kg event in Lagos, together with any points and laurels.

The 28-year-old Oyema is a silver medalist at Rio 2016 Paralympics, Oyema also claimed gold and created a new world record (131kg) in the women’s lightweight category at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.