The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has recently taken a step towards the global campaign against the use of performance-enhancing drugs in elite leagues.
On Thursday, selected players from both Sporting Lagos and Bayelsa United were tested at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan in Lagos, where the two teams clashed.
A four-member team led by renowned anti-doping expert, Dr Akinwunmi Amao, administered the tests to the players.
Simultaneously, another team of sports medicine personnel handled a similar task in Benin City, where Bendel Insurance hosted Abia Warriors.
Dr Amao expressed his delight at the integration of dope control in football leagues in Africa, which has been common in Europe for more than a decade.
He found it encouraging to see the NPFL joining the campaign against doping and working towards ensuring the league is cleansed from possible substance abuse.
The Chairman of the NPFL, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye, also welcomed the successful maiden tests and described them as “quite unprecedented.”
He further added that the tests would be a permanent exercise in the league, as the NPFL was implementing a zero-tolerance policy against substance abuse.
Speaking further on the exercise, Dr Amao highlighted the essence of winning fairly in sports and commended the NPFL for taking steps towards creating a level playing field for all players.
He suggested that introducing dope testing in NPFL matches was a good development in the right direction and would raise the level of compliance with international rules and regulations, as well as the integrity of the league management and administration.
The players and officials of the two teams in Lagos received commendation from the medical experts for their level of awareness of doping control and cooperation during the exercise.
Dr Amao submitted that there was good cooperation from the selected players and teams’ officials and said that the level of awareness of doping control information among the players and their technical officials was substantially good and encouraging.
Finally, Dr Amao pledged to support the NPFL and other sports agencies in creating awareness of the negative effects of doping.
He said that he would always be committed to the ‘fair play’ principle in football and other sports disciplines, not only through dope testing but also through advocacy to create awareness of the negative perspectives of doping through education and information strategy.
