Okagbare is happy to move on from athletics
Though boxed into a corner following her ban, the two-time Commonwealth Gold medalist says she is coping just fine while acknowledging that the times are challenging
Fallen Nigeria athletics star Blessing Okagbare on Saturday revealed she has moved on from athletics though acknowledge that this is very challenging times according to Sports Day.
Probably the most decorated athlete in the history of Nigeria, Okagbare received a 10-year ban for being part of an “organized doping regimen" ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the World Athletics.
The former world championships silver medallist was initially suspended in July just before she was due to run in the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the Olympics.
Okagbare tested positive for blood-booster EPO in Nigeria in June, in addition to another failed test for human growth hormone in Slovakia in July.
A ban of five years was imposed by the AIU for the presence and use of multiple prohibited substances and the suspension was doubled for her refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
Though boxed into a corner following her ban, the two-time Commonwealth Gold medalist says she is coping just fine while acknowledging that the times are challenging.
As if going philosophical Okagbare who recently celebrated her dad as he clocked 80, opined that her life has been falling apart and falling in place at the same time, adding that she no longer panics but sees every challenge as pointing to the better.’
Okagbare who has Three All Africa Games Gold Medal and two Silver medals in her kitty for long jump, relay and 100m respectively also revealed via her social media handle that everyone who walked away in the course of her travails has been replaced by a better person.
She again re-echoed her claim of innocence while charging her lawyers to begin the process of challenging the ban. Okagbare won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 2008 Olympics. That was later upgraded to a silver medal when a Russian athlete was banned for doping.
At the 2013 world championships, she doubled up with long jump silver and 200-metre bronze. Okagbare also won the 100 and the 200 at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
