Sport News
Blessing Okagbare Betrayed By Home Based Athletes..How She Was Accused Of Disrupting Camp
By Charles Ogundiya, Daily Post
It has been revealed how Team Nigeria captain, Blessing Okagbare, fought hard to defend her teammates leading to her been accused of disrupting the camp.
Our correspondent scooped that the plan was to pay only the foreign-based athlete’s competition grant but the African record holder in 200m said no, leading to the athletes calling the Technical Director, Sunday Adeleye, for a meeting.
According to our source, Adeleye promised to meet with the minister of sports, Solomon Dalung, to present their case while the athletes agreed to nominate two representatives to go with the TD. He however asked them to go alone first and meet the minister.
“We were told that the training grant is for foreign basee athletes, so blessing said no, it is never done,” our source who crave anonymity said.
“She fought for the home-based athletes and afterwards we had a meeting and agreed that we are going to invite the minister and president of the AFN (Athletic Federation of Nigeria), Ibrahim Gusau for a meeting.
“We called Fela (Sunday Adeleye) in during the meeting and he came with the secretary. We told them that if the issue of the training grant is not settled nobody is going to compete.
“We told him that we want to nominate people to go with him and meet with the minister but he said no, that he would handle it. He left and later in the day he came back and picked two of the home-based athletes (names withheld) to meet with the minister and the president.
“They got there and did not present the things we discussed at the meeting, they betrayed Blessing and the meeting was sabotaged. All what we started hearing was that Blessing was instigating athletes not to run.
“It was so unfortunate because at the end, the athletes she was fighting for turned around to betray her because they were promised money which they received.”
Big Aunty Koks
April 14, 2018 at 6:28 PM
Why are we always hearing these stories of non payment of athletes? If some are paid and others left out it will certainly create rancour and disaffection in camp and performance of the athletes will be adversely affected. Everybody should know the role they are expected to play AND should do the right thing. Divide and rule policy pays no one in the long run.
The betrayers shall get their come uppance sooner or later so Blessing, continue insisting that the right thing is done and vindication will come one way or the other.
Jilo
April 14, 2018 at 9:02 PM
Blessing, I appreciate your effort in ensuring that the home based athletics get their own fair share of the grant. Never mind, that is what people in the position of leadership are experiencing. Personally Blessing, I would have advised you to join the US track and field team or any foreign team where you will be appreciated and pay your worth. Your one winning track competition will turn your life around significantly. I understand you are hanging around because of love you have for your Country but Nigeria will never appreciate somebody like you because of selfish people we have as leaders.