Sports

Blessing Okagbare Gets 10-year Ban For Doping

Published

4 years ago

February 18, 2022

Editor

Blessing Okagbare

Top Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, has been banned for 10 years for doping.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the sanction on Friday.

Earlier this year, a man — Eric Lira, 41, of El Paso linked with Okagbare was charged to court for allegedly providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes competing in last summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said Lira distributed the drugs, including human growth hormone and erythropoietin, a blood-building hormone, “for the purpose of corrupting” the 2020 Games.

Growth hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Okagbare was suspended from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games after testing positive for human growth hormone.

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.

Sports

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles Players Refuse To Travel For Algeria Game Over Bonuses

Published

16 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Editor

Super Eagles players and coaches have refused to travel to Marrakech due to unpaid bonuses.

This was revealed by BBC Africa journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji, who is in Morocco.

Nigeria are billed to take on Algeria in the quarter-final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday evening.

But it is understood they have not paid their bonuses for the four matches they have played.

Eric Chelle’s men beat Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda in the group fixtures, before they thrashed Mozambique 4-0 in the Round of 16.

They have taken the decision not to travel or train anymore until the bonuses issue is resolved.

Sports

AFCON: Osimhen Threatens To Dump Super Eagles, Return To Galatasaray

Published

2 days ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, reportedly threatened to quit the national team and return to Turkey.

According to Arise News, Osimhen was left fuming following his altercation with Ademola Lookman during the 4-0 win over Mozambique at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations on Monday.

Having scored a brace thanks to assists from Lookman, the 27-year-old lashed out at his team-mate for failing to pass to him in the 64th minute.

Osimhen then beckoned on the bench asking to be taken off, before he was replaced by Moses Simon.

At full time, Osimhen stormed out of the stadium and dropped his accreditation card, insisting he was “done” with the national team and wanted to fly back to Turkey.

He was then pacified by senior officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.