Five athletes have been disqualified from the ongoing Niger Delta Games following investigations into eligibility concerns. The issues range from age discrepancies to violations related to the state of origin.
In swimming, Otunla Kolade Israel of Edo State was stripped of five gold medals and one silver after his National Identification Number showed he is from Ikorodu in Lagos State. In handball, John Vera and Ayimba Maria of Bayelsa State were disqualified over age declaration issues, while Goodness Ekunke was removed from the chess event due to inconsistencies in eligibility documents.
Okafor Adolphus of Ondo State was also disqualified from athletics after investigations revealed concerns about his age declaration and state of origin, which indicated ties to Anambra State. But, not all protests led to sanctions, as Bright Joel Udoh of Edo State in table tennis and Wisdom Chibueze Nweke of Abia State in tennis were cleared after review.
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In athletics, Ngozi Okereke Treasure of Delta State was allowed to compete despite an age discrepancy flagged by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, due to lack of supporting legal documents. Officials say the decisions reflect the Games’ commitment to upholding eligibility rules and ensuring fair competition.
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