Sports Fans Blame AFN For Athletes Drug Scandal

Sports fans in Enugu have blamed the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the three athletes who tested positive to prohibited drugs at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in India.

The fans told  newsmen yesterday in Enugu that the federation’s inaction caused their failing the tests and embarrassing the nation.

“AFN is to blame for the use of drugs by the athletes,’’ Ephraim Ochomma, Athletics Chief Coach, Enugu State Sports Council said.

“Indeed, they made nonsense of the medals they won at the Games. The athletics team was an embarrassment to the nation.

“The president of the federation, Solomon Ogba, should accept responsibility for their disgracing the country and resign.

“AFN did not handle the competition properly. There was no seriousness in their preparation at all, hence they were desperate to take drugs to succeed,’’ he said.

Ochomma criticised the non-selection of coaches from the South-East to participate in the Games, saying the preparation was haphazardly done.

He wondered why a top sprinter like Obinna Metu was not included in the team to the Games when he posted 10.2 secs at the Mobil Track and Field Championships.

Uche Emedolu, a former World Cup medalist acknowledged that though the athletes tried their best, the preparation was poor.

“I can tell you they went there individually. There was no encouragement, no support and motivation,’’ Emedolu said.

“The result they had in New Delhi was not encouraging. It did not show that Nigeria participated at the Games.

“It was as if only Para-sports athletes were at the Games for Nigeria,’’ he said.

According to him, there should be adequate education and early training for the athletes to improve their fortune in future competitions.

“Proper education, provision of incentives and early preparation are the basic things a sports person needs to excel in any competition.

“During our time, there was determination and adequate education. We prepared early enough to face any competition. That was why we succeeded,’’ said the former Commonwealth Games silver medalist.

He described as unfortunate the involvement of some athletes in prohibit drugs and blamed the Federation for it.

Emedolu, however, advised young athletes to shun drugs while participating in competitions

Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, former Light Welterweight Boxing Champion, said the athletes who excelled did so through self effort.

Okoronkwo explained that they could have done much better, if they were trained properly.

On the doping test failed by three Nigerian athletes, he said: “The AFN must be questioned over their role in it’’.

Okoronkwo said that those who tested positive might have been tempted to take drugs to gain confidence to face their opponents.