After going through so much and not even receiving financial support from the Nigerian government, the women representing Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics 4x400m relay event have been disqualified by the IAAF.
According to Complete Sports, the team got banned after one of the athletes, Tosin Adeloye, tested positive to a banned substance at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Super Grand Prix/Warri Relays which took place in Warri, Delta State in July 2015.
As a result, Nigeria will no longer be represented at the 4x400m event even after the team came 4th during the IAAF World Championship in August 2015. All records of the team making the top list during the Beijing games have also been removed from the IAAF website.
In addition to being disqualified from the Olympics, Tosin has been banned for 8 years and also stripped of all the results she achieved individually or jointly.
While other members of the relay team will still take part in other events, it’s unfortunate that Regina George, one of the athletes that raised funds via GoFundMe, will not make the Olympics because the 4x400m race was the only event she was to participate in.
More attention should be paid to Nigerian athletes, so they are properly educated on the necessary regulations to obey and also the kinds of substances to be avoided.
But this feat didn’t come easy for Chierika Ukogu, who had to put off medical school for 2 years just to make her dream of representing Nigeria at the Olympics possible.
Despite not receiving any financial help from the Nigerian government, this Stanford University graduate funded her training and travel expenses through her full-time job and T-shirt sales.
However, with the Olympics drawing nearer, the need to train harder drove Chiereka to raise more funds via her GoFundMe page.
Although she was born and raised by Nigeria parents in the U.S, Chiereka is thrilled to be the first Nigerian athlete to row at the Olympics
What motivates her isn’t just her personal goal to be a great athlete, but also the need to promote sports in Africa and also inspire young people in Nigeria and the U.S.
We’re so proud of Chiereka! We wish her all the best and hope she brings all the gold home.
For a country that’s home to amazing athletes like Blessing Okagbare and Seye Ogunlewe, it’s expected that these sportsmen are properly rewarded for their efforts.
Unfortunately, Nigerian athletes hardly enjoy any benefits and this video couldn’t be more saddening.
🎥"Nobody cares about us…we didn't eat for 3 days…not everybody can run with stress" Travails of 🇳🇬 athletes Pt.1 pic.twitter.com/pg4CUJ3DDa
Although the Nigerian team qualified for the Summer Olympics, it was reported that the athletes were asked to buy their tickets to the trip themselves.
It’s even more disappointing that the fastest man in Asia as at 2016 is Nigerian-born, Femi Ogunode.
For a country with a high unemployment rate, the sports sector should at least be adequately funded so that the Nigerian youth going into sports can be empowered.
Following the reaction from Nigerians on social media, the sports minister, Solomon Dalung, addressed the issue claiming the sports ministry had nothing to do with the email which was obviously signed by a deputy director in the ministry.
