Okagbare’s additional one- year ban has badly depleted our squad, AFN laments

Nigeria loses Oregon 2022 women’s 4x100m relay spot ‘ Commonwealth Games team not affected’

FOR the first time, Nigeria’s athletics is feeling the impact of the ban placed on U. S.- based sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, who was handed an extra oneyear suspension on Monday night for doping violations.

Okagbare will now be out from athletics scene for 11 years after an extra year was added to the previous 10year ban she received from World Athletics on February 14, 2021.

Before her 10- year ban last year, Okagbare had helped the Nigerian 4x100m relay team to qualify for the World Championships during an event held at Yaba on Okagbare. College of Technology, “This additional one- year Lagos, where she, alongside ban on Okagbare has comGrace Nwokocha, Rosemary pletely depleted our squad Chukwuma and Tima to the World Godbless competed in an Championships,” the offiInternational Relay race cial said. “Between our men attended by some other and the women’s teams, our African countries. hope for medals was more

Speaking with The Guardian on the girls because for the yesterday, an official of the first time in a long while, we Athletics Federation of have four of our women Nigeria ( AFN), described as running sub 10.00 seconds, ‘ sad development’ the addiwhich is good for Nigeria. tional one- year ban placed Even without Okagbare, we still had a strong relay squad, but this additional one- year ban is a big disaster for us.”

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EANWHILE, the additional one- year ban on Okagbare may not affect Nigeria’s women 4x100m relay team’s participation at the Commonwealth Games next month in Birmingham, England.

Another official of the AFN told The Guardian that the Athletics Integrity Unit ( AIU) rules apply only to events being organised by World Athletics. I can tell you that our women’s 4x100m relay team to the Commonwealth Games is intact because it is a competition by entry and not by standard as stipulated by World Athletics.

All these Out of Competition Tests ( OCT), which our athletes do before attending World Athletics events, are not applicable to the

Commonwealth Games,” the official explained.

The Guardian recalls that early last year, Okagbare was handed a career- ending 10year ban by the Disciplinary Tribunal; five years for the ‘ presence and use of multiple prohibited substances and another five years for her refusal to co- operate with the AIU’S investigation into her case.’

Okagbare was suspended on the eve of her 100m semifinal at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for a prohibited substance.