By Ben Efe
Top Nigerian sports officials are mustering support for suspended sprinter Damola Osayomi, with a view to preventing a ban and the loss of her gold medal at the Commonwealths Games.

Osayomi was given a hearing yesterday and her medal was placed on suspension, pending the outcome of her B sample.
“(The) B Sample result is expected within 48 hours from the time of the request so further details are not expected until Wednesday morning,” said a Commonwealth Games Federation statement.

The athlete tested positive to methylhexaneamine, which was put on the list of banned drugs this year by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

Nigeria’s Akin Amoa who is a member of the Commonwealth Games medical team said yesterday, that the substance found in Osayomi’s sample, is classified as a stimulant and therefore Osayomi had the chance of walking away with a warning.

“She is an athlete we have tested several times over the years. She was clean and this case is just exceptional, it was as result of the food supplement she took,” said the long serving Nigerian sports medicine practitioner.

He acknowledged that Osayomi was treated for a toothache, but the drugs that was administered was given to her from the Polyclinic at the Games Village.

National Sports Commission director_general Patrick Ekeji, Nigeria Olympic Committee president, Sani  Ndanusa and Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Solomon Ogba were yesterday engaged in high level consultation with the Commonwealths Games federation with a view to creating an escape window for the athlete.
“The Commonwealth Games Federation is sympathetic on this case.