Grace Okagbare, the sister of of embatlled sprints queen Blessing has opened up on the dirty secrets behind the doping saga bedeviling the suspended star.
According to Grace, Blessing is being witch-hunted for her outspokeness on the rot in the sports sector in Nigeria; adding that a proper hearing for her to clear her name of the allegations made has been denied.
Read the full statement here…
THE MANY LIES OF THE ATHLETICS FEDERATION OF NIGERIA REGARDING BLESSING OKAGBARE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS ORDEAL
I am sincerely disappointed that since after the ordeals of Queen B Okagbare Mfr, my kid sister and Africa’s Queen of the tracks during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics games, no official from the Ministry of Sports have reached out to her.
Instead, what we are seeing in the media space is fabricated and unfounded lies to tarnish her image.
This is sad and preposterous.
A former AFN president who is supposed to be a father figure to take up her case has rather failed woefully in all ramifications instead he’s going about running his mouth that he knew who gave drugs to Blessing.
Since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Athletics Integrity Units haven’t said anything new about the case or invited her to hear her side of the story.
In my estimation, what the AFN are trying to do since the incident happened, is to force her to agree to what she didn’t do. And she has vehemently refused and is prepared to go to court for proper redress.
Blessing Okagbare believes that since she has been standing against the ills in the Sports Ministry, she is now a target. And they are hell-bent on tarnishing her image.
They have fruitlessly tried to force her to own up and accept what she didn’t do and she won’t.
How can she cooperate or succumb to their whims and caprices when she hasn’t been to court for once since the incident happened?
Up till date, she hasn’t been called for the hearing of the case, but the i.dio.ts are spreading lies that she refused to cooperate with them, last month they came out with their usual propaganda that she has been banned.
I believe there’s something they are either hiding or trying to cover up in this whole ordeal.
Blessing Okagbare is not just a Nigerian track and field athlete who has paid her dues in the long jump and short sprints, she is also Africa’s Queen of the tracks and an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump, and a world medalist in the 200 meters. She deserves to be treated with respect.
Blessing Okagbare also holds the Women’s 100 meters Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds.
Her 100 meters best of 10.79 made her the African record holder for the event until it was eclipsed by Murielle Ahouré in 2016.
She has also won medals at the All – Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays.
Now, after all she has painstakingly achieved for Nigeria in the world of athletics against all odds, is Blessing Okagbare is now being maltreated by the Sports Ministry. This is sad and disappointing.
For Okagbare to be ignored since after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, goes to show that government officials and sports administrators, deliberately hell-bent on tarnishing her image and want her career to go down.
Blessing Okagbare, the current Guinness Book of World Records holder of an athlete with the most appearance in Diamond league meetings, is our track and field heroine that deserves better treatment not using propaganda to bring her down by one clueless Gowon at Guardian newspaper.
Blessing appreciates everyone’s support and encouragements thus far but will not speak on this matter officially at moment.
However, when it’s time for her to speak on this issue or the fallout of it, she will.
Thank you and God bless
