Amos decries lack of support, lost revenue
Staff Writer | Tuesday May 9, 2023 15:31
The 29-year-old Olympic silver medallist indicated he has no plans to retire as he will be 31 when his ban ends. Amos said the last 11 months have been daunting and he lost a lot of money fighting the doping case. “I am very much aware that the ruling made by AIU brings shame to the nation. I would like to humbly apologise to my beloved country, its citizens, fellow athletes, and athletic bodies in the country,” Amos said. “It would be best to narrate the series of events leading to this unfortunate turmoil and consequential experience since June 4, 2022, when I did my infamous test in Morocco. I flew to Morocco to compete in the Rabat Diamond League from Ostrava, Czech Republic. I had been tested in Ostrava and my results came out negative, however, on arrival in Morocco I allegedly tested positive. As a result, I requested for a B sample to be tested and the results came back positive too. I went through with the competition and I flew to Paris, France a week later to take part in the Paris Diamond League. In Paris, I experienced issues with my hamstrings during the warm-up and I eventually had to withdraw from the race. Therefore, my last race was in Morocco and that should be the only result that will be excluded from my profile.” He said as a result of the ban, he missed an opportunity to compete in big races like the World Championships in Oregon, which meant lost revenue. The athlete estimates that he lost around P2 million due to the suspension.
He also spent considerably on legal fees as he engaged a team that took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Amos vowed to return stronger at the end of the ban. “Does that mean I will retire? I can inform the nation that I have no plans to retire in the next three years. I am still in good shape and I am hopeful that I will rise again in the World Championships in 2025, God willing,” he said.