Blessing Okagbare has slammed officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) over the disqualification of 10 of the country’s track and field athletes from the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Wednesday disqualified the 10 athletes from the Olympics due to failure to comply with the out of the competition testing (OCT) requirement.
The affected athletes include Knowledge Omovoh, Ruth Usoro, Favor Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Glory Patrick, Yinka Ajayi, Tima Godbless, Chidi Okezie, Chioma Onyekwere and Annette Echikunwoke.
Reacting to the development, Okagbare, who was not part of the disqualified athletes, took to her verified Twitter page on Thursday to vent off some steam.
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The former Olympic bronze medalist also tackled the country’s federation while claiming that they neglected the athletes when it mattered the most.
She lamented that some of those in charge of sports are not passionate about it but only interested in fighting over “power and puma contract/ kits”.
“I have said it before and I will say it again. If you do not know the sport, not passionate about it/Us (the athletes), then you have no business there as an administrator. The sport system in Nigeria is so flaw and we athletes, are always at the receiving end of the damages,” she wrote.
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“They were busy fighting over power, Excercising their pride over puma contract/ kits forgetting their major responsibility “THE ATHLETES”. It’s sad that this cycle keeps repeating its self and some people will come out to say I am arrogant for speaking my truth. It is my CAREER”.
TheCable had earlier reported the power tussles among officials of the AFN, which culminated in the body holding two distinct elections that elected two different board members on the same day.
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