Blessing Okagbare faces three more doping charges

Nigerian sprint champion Blessing Okagbare is facing the possibility of a lengthy ban from athletics after three more doping cases surfaced.

Okagbare was barred from participating in the Olympic 100-meter semi-finals in July for a doping offence and was handed a four-year ban.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said Okagbare tested positive for banned substance recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in a sample collected out-of-competition on 20^th June in Nigeria.

She also tested positive for another banned substance in Slovakia the following month.

“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 19^th July in Slovakia and reported to the AIU on 30th July,” AIU said in a statement on Thursday.

The body also accused Okagbare of failing to cooperate 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 15^th September,” the statement said.

But Okagbare has denied all charges and has requested that each of them is submitted to a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal.

by Tejiri Napoleon