Hands off Zorro -BNOC

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has warned stakeholders against using Nijel Amos for any sports related activities as he remains suspended, following a doping incident.

Amos is serving a three-year suspension since 2022 after he was found to have violated the World Anti-Doping Rules after a banned substance was detected in his body during a random out-of-competition test done on June 4. The ban attracted a mandatory four-year ban, but his suspension was cut by a year after he pleaded guilty to the offence, effectively meaning that the suspension elapses on July 2025.

In the release, BNOC indicates that as the leading authority of the national anti-doping rules, BNOC was deeply concerned by the engagement of Amos by certain stakeholders in competitions or activities despite the fact that the athlete was still banned from any sporting related activities.

BNOC cautions stakeholders that as the custodian of the World anti-doping rules in Botswana, it is mandated with taking appropriate action to discourage any form of non-compliance.

The ban effectively rules him out of next year’s Olympic games in Paris, France.

Amos equaled the third fastest time in the 800m history at a tender age of 18 when he won silver behind David Rudisha of Kenya, becoming the country’s first ever Olympic medalist. His time of 1.41.73 from that competition still remains the World junior record.