It is tripple trouble for Nigeria’s Queen of track, Blessing Okagbare, as she faces three new charges of doping.
If the charges are sustained and she is found culpable, the sprint champion may face a lengthy ban from the sport she loves so much-athletics.
The hammer first came down on the Queen of sprints, last July, during the 100-metre semi-finals at the 2020 Olympics in Japan as she was slammed with a four-year ban
The Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, had said that Okagbare had tested positive for the banned substance, recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in a sample collected out-of-competition on June 20, 2021 in Nigeria.
Not only that, she also tested positive for another banned performance-enhancing substance in Slovakia the following month.
As if that was not enough, fresh trouble broke for Okagbare, on Thursday, as the AIU announced that: “The athlete has been charged with the presence and use of a prohibited substance following the detection of Human Growth Hormone in a sample collected out-of-competition on 19th July in Slovakia and reported to the AIU on 30th July.”
The body also accused Okagbare of refusing to cooperate with investigators during the investigation.
“The athlete failed to comply with a formal requirement to produce relevant documents, records, and electronic storage devices, which was issued to the athlete by the AIU on 15th September,” the statement said.
However, the athlete denied all the charges and demanded that each of the charges be submitted to a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal.
