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The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has issued a formal query to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) regarding discrepancies in the ages of four Nigerian athletes (names withheld) set to compete in the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, this August.
The AIU has raised concerns about multiple dates of birth (DOB) used by these athletes in different competitions, suspecting potential falsification of identification documents.
In a letter dated June 7, 2024, addressed to AFN President Tonobok Ojuru Okowa and Secretary General Rita Moshindi, AIU Head Brett Clothier outlined the issue.
The letter, seen by The Guardian, states in part: “The AIU has identified discrepancies regarding the date of birth (DOB) for at least 4 Nigerian athletes. Each of these athletes has at least two, and sometimes three or more, different DOBs which have been used to enter competitions at different times.”
The AIU has requested extensive documentation from the AFN to clarify the athletes’ true ages. This includes current and previous passports, birth certificates, national ID cards, documents supporting passport applications, medical records, dental records, vaccination records, and educational records such as matriculation documents, school reports, and examination results. Additionally, the AFN must provide any correspondence between the athletes and the federation regarding their dates of birth.
One male athlete, a double champion in the U18 category at the African U18/U20 Championships last year in Ndola, Zambia, and three female athletes—a sprinter, a hurdler, and a long/triple jumper—are under scrutiny. Notably, one female athlete has three different dates of birth, and the male athlete has birth years listed as 2004 and 2006. Two of the athletes had different birth dates on the AFN entry lists for competitions in 2019 and 2021 compared to the dates used for the African U18/U20 Championships in 2023.
The AFN had until June 21, 2024, to respond to the AIU’s demands and clarify the discrepancies.
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