British tennis player Tara Moore has been banned for four years for a doping offence, despite being cleared by an independent tribunal 18 months ago.

An appeal by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

The four-year ban starts immediately, but will be reduced by the 19 months Moore was provisionally suspended when the case first came to light.

The 32-year-old was Britain’s top ranked women’s doubles player when she was provisionally banned in May 2022 having tested positive for nandrolone and boldenone at a tournament in the Colombian capital Bogota the previous month.

But in December 2023 an independent tribunal ruled contaminated meat was the source of the positive test, and that Moore “bore no fault or negligence”.

The British player said she had suffered “19 months of lost time and emotional distress”, and that her reputation had been damaged as a result of the case.

She returned to the tour in April 2024 and has played mostly on the ITF World Tour since.

Earnings for doubles players are meagre, although Moore did make it into the main draw for Wimbledon and the US Open last year, as well as for the Australian Open this January.

The battle for regional supremacy begins today as West Africa’s table tennis powerhouses converge at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, for the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships.

This prestigious tournament, serving as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships set to take place later this year in Kigali, Rwanda, will see Nigeria—the host nation—compete against top teams from across the region in both team and singles events over the next four days.

Historically, Nigeria has dominated the region, but recent years have seen rising challenges from nations like Togo and the Ivory Coast. The competition promises to be fierce, especially after Togo’s dramatic 3-2 upset over Nigeria’s star-studded men’s team at the 2024 edition in Lomé.

Nigeria’s men’s squad boasts a strong lineup, including Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, and Matthew Fabunmi. Togo counters with their experienced, US-based star Kokou Fanny, supported by promising talents Atarou Assou and Kossi Akakpo.

Ivory Coast will be led by Oba Oba Kizito, the maiden regional champion, who returns from his base in Paris with hopes of finally clinching gold after four near misses in previous editions.

In the women’s category, Nigeria is expected to maintain its dominance despite the absence of reigning singles champion Hope Udoaka. Veteran Ajoke Ojomu will captain the team, guiding rising stars Aishat Rabiu and Aziza Sezuo in their quest to retain the title.

The four-day tournament will end on Saturday, July 19, with the singles finals, while team champions will be crowned on Thursday, July 17.

The eighth Nigeria League One, NLO, teams from the Northern and Southern parts of the country that gained promotion to the Nigeria National League, NNL, have been confirmed

Following the conclusion of the playoffs across the country, Stormers SC, Hammola FC, E-World United and Ikorodu City FA have sealed the ticket to the NNL.

The 8 NLO teams (from North & South) that gained promotion to NNL are: Northern Teams: * Kano Ambassadors – Kano State * Warinje FC – Bauchi State * City FC – Abuaj (FCT) * Mai Kunkele – Niger State

Southern Teams: * Stormers SC – Ogun State * Hammola FC – Osun State * E-World United – Cross Rivers State * Ikorodu City FA – Lagos State