Nigerian athletes Ezinne Abba and Alaba Akintola have blamed the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the sports ministry for their exclusion from from the 2022 World Athletics Championships which will begin in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America tomorrow.
While Abba claimed that she was informed painfully late that she would not be attending the global event, Akintola insinuated that there was deliberate sabotage in his exclusion from Nigeria’s team despite his qualification.
“It has always been my dream to compete for Nigeria on the world stage, but despite reaching the world standard, flying to Nigeria alone, switching my allegiance from the US and mentally, physically preparing myself after my first ever hamstring strain, the Athletic Federation of Nigeria failed me,” Abba, 21, wrote on Instagram yesterday.
“The negligence and egocentric actions of the minister and other administrators have once again overcome the federation, which negatively affects the athletes.
“Why am I being told 40 minutes before my flight to Oregon, the week of competition, that I’m no longer competing because of their wrongdoings and irrational fear?
“I have already passed 2/3 drug tests, but for some reason, I am not allowed to do my third test because of ‘fear of failure.’
“They speak repeatedly about trying to fix the broken system that is Nigerian athletics by firing and hiring all new staff, but the corruption still lives.
“Unfortunately, I will not be competing at the World Championships or the Commonwealth Games.”
Akintola, a US-based sprinter also aired his frustration on Instagram, blaming his inability to feature in what would have been his first World Athletics Championships on ‘politics’.
“Sadly, I’m going to be out of the World Championships in Oregon after I qualified for three events (100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay) not because I failed dope but because of politics, because that’s what it looks like.
“They hid under the umbrella of OCT (out of competition test), meaning I didn’t submit my whereabouts or whatever (I’ve been on this since March).
“They already cost me a major championship, that’s their plan and I knew they knew what they did. Thanks to everyone that cared and showed love, I really appreciate it. Stepping stone to greater things”
However, AFN Secretary-General, Adisa Beyioku, dismissed the athletes’ protestations as unfounded, insisting that they had no basis for complaint and will face disciplinary action.
“Miss Abba did not compete in any individual event at the Nigerian Championships in Benin City, which was used as selection trials for both the World Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games,” Beyioku said in a statement issued by the AFN.
“This means her selection will no longer be on merit, but at the discretion of the AFN.
“Abba has not also completed the mandatory three out-of-competition tests for the championships as she was not under the radar of the Nigerian anti-doping agency until recently when her change of allegiance from the United States of America to Nigeria was granted by World Athletics.
“She should have known her selection is not automatic and must explain why she chose to publicly drag the name of the AFN and the Sports Minister in an inappropriate manner. The AFN will not condone any misguided outburst from any athlete.”
The World Athletics Championships will start tomorrow and end on July 24.
