Disqualified Nigerian Athletes Stage Protest In Tokyo

Nigerian athletes are protesting the disqualification of 10 of them at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.

On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which is an independent body created by World Athletics to manage all integrity issues said a total of 18 athletes have been declared ineligible.

Nigerians were the most affected as 10 athletes failed the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15.

Consequently, athletes in Tokyo were spotted carrying placards with the inscription “Why should we suffer for someone else’s negligence”, “All we wanted to do was compete.

“We are not just alternates but potential medalists,” another placard read.

On Thursday, Nigerian athlete Blessing Okagbare launched an attack on Nigerian sports administrators over the disqualification.

She said, “I have said it before and I will say it again. 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.”