The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the provisional suspension of Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, a South Sudanese refugee athlete, for a positive doping test. Lohalith, a member of the Refugee Olympic Team, allegedly tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine.
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, who fled war in South Sudan and sought refuge in a camp in Kenya, had been preparing for her third consecutive Summer Games on a scholarship from the IOC. The 31-year-old competed in the 1,500m event for the Refugee Team at both the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Lohalith’s case is the third instance of doping-related issues within the Refugee Olympic Team. Earlier, Moroccan athlete Fouad Idbafdil and South Sudanese athlete Dominic Lokolong Atiol faced similar suspensions for doping violations.
The Refugee Olympic Team represents a symbol of hope and resilience for displaced populations worldwide. However, doping incidents like this raise concerns about the integrity of sports and the challenges faced by athletes from marginalized backgrounds.
