Okagbare’s Ban: Nigeria Women To Miss Out On 4x100m Relay 

Nigeria’s women 4x100m relay team will not take part in the 2022 World Athletics Championship 4x100m relay event next month in Oregon, USA following extended ban handed to Blessing Okagbare in the wake of her anti-doping violations, reports Prime Business Africa.

The World Athletics Championship holds July 14th to 24th with the Nigerian trials ahead of the Championship holding in Benin City, Edo state over the weekend.

The Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU of the Word Athletics, WA announced that banned Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been found to have committed additional anti-doping rule violations – specifically evading sample collection, and tampering or attempted tampering with the doping control process.

While Okagbare has had her current 10-year ban from athletics extended by one year (now 11 years in total), another significant consequence of this decision against her is that Nigeria has lost its potential qualification place for the women’s 4x100m relay at next month’s World Athletics Championships Oregon ’22.

This is because six days after Okagbare evaded sample collection (13 June 2021), she competed in the 4x100m relay event at the Nigeria Olympic Trials, with her relay squad qualifying for this year’s World Championships.

All individual and relay results involving Okagbare, from 13 June 2021, are now disqualified under the rules.

Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Brett Clothier, is encouraging athletes and entourage to report suspected doping, noting the unscrupulous behaviour of dopers could have damning repercussions for their team-mates and country.