Nigerian athlete, Blessing Okagbare has said she sometimes contemplate dumping Nigeria and representing another country during athletics events.
In a recent interview with Punch, Okagbare said athletes representing the country are not encouraged unlike their counterparts in other countries.
She said most of the athletes who represented the country at the Rio Olympics were not motivated.
She said, “But in Rio it’s like all they just wanted was for you to show your face and leave. I don’t know but it’s as if they didn’t want us to come here. Last time I heard the minister say a gold medal winner would get $2000 and I asked ‘is that what a gold medal is worth?’ And before I knew, it was actually in the media. You don’t bring that kind of stuff to athletes in the name of encouragement because we know what other athletes from other countries get. It’s been a problem and every year, I wish things would be different. At times it would be like should I move to another country? But you may understand why I refused to change. It’s my career and my passion so I enjoy it and that is what drives me. And that’s why I am still on the track and for Nigeria.”
On her abysmal performance at the Games, Okagbare said, “I was ready and I felt like I was in the best shape of my life coming here (Rio Olympics). It still surprises me (how things turned out). I posted something on Facebook that there are certain things that don’t make sense, there are things that you just don’t understand.”
YN.
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