Why has Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru been banned for 6 years?

NEW DELHI: Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru has been handed a six-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Union (AIU) due to his involvement in two Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). The AIU announced this decision on Thursday, highlighting the presence of "overwhelming evidence" against the athlete.

The ADRVs for which Oduduru has been banned include the possession of prohibited substances and the attempted use of a prohibited substance or method. In addition to the ban, he has been instructed to pay World Athletics $3,000 towards their expenses related to the case.

"We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level," stated Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, in response to the decision.

The AIU had been seeking a six-year ban for Oduduru, who was placed under provisional suspension on February 9, 2023.


The case against Oduduru emerged in connection to charges filed by U.S. prosecutors against therapist Eric Lira, who was accused of supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Notably, Oduduru's teammate, Blessing Okagbare, received an 11-year ban for doping in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics and for failing to cooperate with the investigation.

Okagbare's phone was examined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon her return to the United States, revealing "highly incriminating text and voice messages" exchanged with Lira, according to an FBI complaint.

"The AIU is fully committed to unearthing cheats and the extent of their networks. In our quest to protect the integrity of athletics, we often work closely with other investigative organizations," Clothier emphasized.

"We are grateful for the assistance from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and United States Department of Justice, whose legal reach provided vital evidence which helped in this matter, as well as in our case against Blessing Okagbare last year."

Throughout the investigation, the 27-year-old Oduduru maintained his innocence, despite the AIU's assertion of significant evidence. This included WhatsApp messages between Okagbare and Lira, which revealed Okagbare soliciting prohibited substances on Oduduru's behalf.

The AIU noted the discovery of photographic evidence of multiple prohibited substances in Oduduru's Florida apartment. Among the substances found were two boxes of Somatropin (labeled as "Xerendip" and "Humatrope"), identified as human growth hormone, a plastic bag labeled "IGF LR3" (an abbreviation for synthetic Insulin Growth Factor) containing three vials, and two boxes of erythropoietin (EPO).

Oduduru, known for his impressive sprinting times of 9.86 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.73 seconds in the 200 meters, was disqualified during the 100-meter heats at the Tokyo Olympics, while he reached the 200-meter semi-finals.

(With Reuters inputs)