Why we cannot defend Blessing Okagbare – Athletics Federation of Nigeria tells Neusroom
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has said it is not the federation’s business to defend athletes indicted for doping.
AFN’s spokesperson, Dare Esan, told Neusroom, while reacting to the ban of Blessing Okagbare for doping by the Athletics Integrity Unit, that the federation can only advocate for a fair hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the athlete decides to appeal the ban.
“Federations all over the world do not take a position on this kind of case, and the case is not concluded yet, so it’s too early to take a decision,” he told Neusroom in a telephone conversation on Friday night.
The 33-year-old Nigerian sprinter, who is one of Nigeria’s most decorated athletes, has been vital to the country’s success at continental and international competitions.
She was banned for 10 years on Friday, February 18, 2022. Five years for testing positive for two prohibited substances (human Growth Hormone (hGH) and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and five years for refusing to cooperate with the disciplinary tribunal during the investigation. The ban is coming about seven months after she was disqualified from participating in the semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 women’s 100m.
On January 12, 2022, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the charge of Eric Lira, a US-based “naturopathic” therapist alleged to have supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes before the Tokyo Olympic Games. Okagbare was also named in the criminal complaint indicting Lira.
Esan told Neusroom that Okagbare has an option of going to CAS to appeal her ban, “it is after that that the federation can issue a statement and that cannot happen now, so we can’t preempt what has not happened.”
The CAS has reduced athletes’ bans after their appeal in the past. In 2021, CAS reduced former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia’s life ban to a five-year ban after being indicted for match-fixing by FIFA.
But some sports analysts have told Neusroom that it is unlikely that Okagbare will appeal her ban since she did not cooperate with the disciplinary panel during the investigation and refused to appear before the tribunal to defend herself. In a statement on Friday, AIU had said this is why it is slamming a 5-year-ban on her added to the 5-year ban for doping.
“The AFN cannot be worried because the warning is clear for any athlete that is above 18 that you’re responsible for whatever is found in your system,” Esan said. “So it is not the business of the federation to start defending any athlete that has been caught.”
He added that no federation in the world had done that. “What they can do is to advocate for a fair hearing, which the AFN is going to do, that is if the athlete takes the option. So it is not AFN that will pick the option for her. It is the athlete that will pick the option whether to exercise that right or to accept the sentence.
