NOC Says Its On Top Of The SituationWITH sports-loving Nigerians still shell-shocked about the axing of three athletes from Team Nigeria for allegedly failing drug tests, one of the affected athletes, Vivian Chukwuemeka has claimed innocence alleging foul play.Chukwuemeka, who set a new African record in the shot put event at the recently concluded African Athletics Championship in Porto Novo, Benin Republic, reacted angrily saying she was still in shock about the outcome of the test.'I am sure somebody somewhere is out to tarnish my name and reputation and I won't take that this time around,' Chukwuemeka told The Guardian in a telephone interview shortly after the news broke on Friday.The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had said, through its president, Solomon Ogba that the affected athletes had questions to answer regarding how certain banned substances were found in their urine samples.'The tests we carried out on our athletes found these three dropped to have been guilty of banned substances. Because we are desirous of going to the London Olympics with 100 per cent dope-free athletes, we had no choice but to remove the trio from our team,' Ogba stated.But Chukwuemeka insisted that she did not take any banned substance, adding that she would contest the ban in court.'They sent a message to me that certain banned substances were found in my system from the test conducted during the All Nigerian trials in Calabar,' she said.'That test was conducted close to a month now and how come they kept the results to themselves if actually banned substances were found in my system''I won't take that rubbish this time because I am very sure somebody is just out to frustrate me. That was how they came up with that 'nonsense' some years ago, that I took drugs, and I was banned for two years. Must they go after Vivian all the time''They told me to hold on pending when the result of the test that was conducted in Porto Novo would be out. I am waiting, but like I said, I won't take this.'The AFN said that the affected athletes were entitled to a second test ('B' sample)before it could say categorically that they have been found guilty.Meanwhile, the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Sanni Ndanusa, has said that the body was on top of the situation, adding that it would not allow the country's image to be tarnished by athletes in the London Olympics.Ndanusa, who accompanied Team Nigeria contingent to the Surrey Camp in London on July 6, returned to the country on Friday evening.
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