Sports
Doping Test Results: Elegbeleye Praises NPFL Players for Staying Clean
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria Premier Football League(NPFL) players have been commended for a clean bill in the results of random tests carried out by the National Anti -Doping Committee (NADC) of Nigeria.
Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, the NPFL Chairman, welcomed the release of the test results communicated to the league in a letter from the NADC. The agency have also indicated plans to continue with the drug testing exercise in the new season and sought the support of the league.
“I am very satisfied with the outcome of the tests on our players carried out by the NADC and i want to commend our players for staying clean”, Elegbeleye said in his reaction to the content of the letter.
In the letter sent to the NPFL, Odo Raphael Okafor, the
Deputy Director/Head Drug Testing, recalled that the tests were conducted to keep the sport of football clean and add integrity to the NPFL.
“As you are quite aware, NADC in her effort to keep the sports of football clean and add integrity
to the league, in line with the World Anti-Doping Code,started drug testing with the 2023/2024
league season.
“Out of the Thirty-Two (32) Urine sample test carried out in a randomly selected match fixtures, the whole results came out to be negative. This indicates that out of the randomly selected
players, none is using substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This is
commendable”, Okafor wrote in the letter.
The doping agency informed the NPFL that it would resume random testing of players at selected league matches for the 2025/26 season.
“In NADC continued effort and commitment in maintaining fair play, integrity and protecting the health of our sports men and women, we wish to carry out drug testing in some randomly
selected matches in the 2025/2026 league season”, the NADC stated.
In the ongoing season, the NADC indicated that it plans to carry out 16 tests in four match fixtures that would be selected at random.
It sought the support of the NPFL to successfully complete the task.
Elegbeleye assured the agency of support for their activities in the new season, saying, the agency is going to receive total support from the NPFL to ensure another successful round of testing”.
Sports
PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Earns World Athletics Label
Nigeria’s foremost Sports Company, Nilayo Sports Management Limited (NSML) has announced the second edition of the PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon, set to light up Nigeria’s capital city on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
With the theme “Steady Strides,” this year’s race captures the measured rhythm and determined pace that define world-class long-distance running, a reflection of the steady progress and ambitious vision shaping the marathon’s evolution into a global platinum-labelled event.
In a historic milestone for Nigerian sports, the PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon has been officially awarded the prestigious World Athletics Label for its second edition, a distinction achieved in record time. This remarkable feat makes it the first marathon globally to earn the label so swiftly, underscoring both the organizational excellence of NSML and the dynamic rise of PremiumTrust Bank, currently celebrated as Nigeria’s fastest-growing commercial bank.
The 2025 edition is expected to attract elite international athletes, top local runners, and marathon enthusiasts from around the world, alongside officials from World Athletics who will oversee the competition.
Speaking on the announcement, Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Yetunde Olopade, expressed excitement about the unique partnership with PremiumTrust Bank.
“This second edition is fundamentally unique because it represents the first-ever true super-partnership on such a dynamic sports property in our nation and arguably, globally. PremiumTrust Bank is not just a sponsor but the sole partner anchoring the establishment, organization, and consolidation of a global marathon in Nigeria’s capital city.
” We are proud and grateful for the bank’s visionary leadership, which not only recognized the immense potential of the first edition but is now single-handedly driving the race toward international acclaim.”
Managing Director of PremiumTrust Bank, Dr. Emmanuel Efe Emefienim (CON) emphasized the shared values underpinning the partnership.
“PremiumTrust Bank is built on the philosophy of rapid, impactful, and sustainable growth, and the theme of this year’s marathon perfectly reflects our operational ethos.”
“Attaining World Athletics Label status in just the second year validates that our investment is yielding world-class outcomes. We are deeply proud to be the sole partner building this monumental legacy, reinforcing our commitment to sports development, community wellbeing, excellence, and platforms where champions are made.”
The PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon 2025 promises to be a spectacular celebration of endurance, athleticism, and community spirit, further strengthening Abuja’s status on the global racing calendar.
Registration for participants is currently open as it promises to be another marathon spectacle on the 6th of December 2025.
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