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SHOCKER! Blessing Okagbare is suspended from Tokyo 2020 for doping

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OKAGBARE

 

Top Nigerian sprinter and medal hopeful, Blessing Okagbare, has been suspended from the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games, after testing positive for human growth hormone.

A statement from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed that Okagbare who is both a world and Olympic medallist failed an out-of-competition test taken on July 19.

Having won her heat race on Friday, she was meant to compete in the women’s 100 metres semi-finals on Saturday but that is no longer the case as she will miss the remainder of the Olympics.

Okagbare’s suspension was officially announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in a statement issued Saturday morning.

“The Athletics Integrity Unit has provisionally suspended Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria today with immediate effect after a sample collected from the sprinter tested positive for human growth hormone,” the AIU said.

“Growth hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such substance under the World Athletics anti-doping rules.

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“The AIU collected the sample from Ms. Okagbare during an out-of-competition test on 19 July.

“The WADA-accredited laboratory that analysed the sample notified the AIU of the adverse analytical finding at midday Central European Time yesterday, Friday 30 July.

“The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and of her provisional suspension this morning in Tokyo.

“She was scheduled to participate in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m this evening.

“The AIU will make no further comment on this matter at this time.”

The AIU had already disqualified 10 Nigerian athletes from Tokyo 2020 having failed to undergo the mandatory three out-of-competition tests in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

The disqualification which many blamed on administrative lapses by Nigeria’s sports ministry and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria drew reactions from many including Okagbare who hit out at sports governance in Nigeria, saying: “I have said it before and I will say it again.

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“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 flawed and we athletes are always at the receiving end of the damages.”

Okagbare is the most experienced among those competing in athletics for Nigeria in Tokyo.

She made her Olympic debut in Beijing 2008 where she won a silver medal in the Long Jump and subsequently competed at both the London and Rio Olympic Games.

Described as Nigeria’s Queen of Tracks, Okagbare has a long list of accomplishments including at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow where she won long jump silver and 100m bronze.

Apart from being a multi African champion, Okagbare also won the 100m/200m double at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria said it has received with great shock the suspension of Okagbare for a doping test violation.

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The Federation through its president, Tony Okowa, said it is in the process of obtaining the relevant details of the announcement after which a full reaction will be issued.

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BREAKING: CAF overturns Afcon final result, declares Morocco winner

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals and declare MOROCCO the winner of the title.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, that result has now been overturned by CAF.

A statement by the African Football’s Governing Body said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

See also  BREAKING: Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare banned for 10 years for 'multiple' anti-doping breaches
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FG  fulfils promises as D’Tigress receive national honours, house documents

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The Federal Government has fulfilled its outstanding promises to the senior women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, delivering National Honour certificates and title documents for houses in Abuja.

The presentation took place in Lyon, where the African Champions are currently participating  at  the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.

The move follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at clearing a backlog of promises made to the team following their 2023 Afrobasket victory in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, led the delegation alongside the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. Speaking during the handover, Dikko characterized the prompt delivery as a “clear departure” from previous administrations, where state-promised rewards often faced multi-year delays.

“This is a prompt fulfilment of promises made by a President who leads with action,” Dikko stated. “Mr. President is giving every Nigerian athlete a renewed confidence that sports is a serious business capable of changing lives.”

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While the physical assets (housing and honours) have been delivered, the NSC Chairman confirmed that the cash rewards promised to the squad are currently in the final stages of administrative processing. He assured the players that disbursement into their respective bank accounts is imminent.

The Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, noted that the current administration of President Tinubu  is institutionalizing a “reward system” modelled after developed sporting nations to ensure high-performance outcomes.

President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida, credited the Presidency for prioritizing athlete welfare, citing it as a “legacy of a lifetime” for the sports sector.

Head Coach Rena Wakama and Captain Amy Okonkwo formally accepted the documents, affirming that the timely delivery of these incentives would serve as a catalyst for the team’s upcoming international qualifiers.

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BREAKING: Ex-Eagles captainHenry Nwosu dies aged 62

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Henry Nwosu, a former Nigerian international footballer and member of the 1980 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning team, has passed away.

He was 62.

His death was confirmed by fellow ex-international Segun Odegbami in a Facebook post on Saturday.

According to Odegbami, Nwosu passed away at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja after a five-day battle for his life.

He also revealed the details of Nwosu’s final days, stating that the man he fondly called “Youngest Millionaire” died at 4:00 a.m. after being in intensive care since Wednesday.

“After 5 days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at 4:00 am this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos where he had been in Intensive Care since Wednesday,” he wrote.

“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in Heaven.”

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