Okagbare explodes: I deserve respect
.Nigerian sprinter says she's had crazy injuries
Former Commonwealth Games 100m and 200m gold medalist Blessing Okagbare Ighoteguonor went into a deluge of outbursts after running in the the Women’s 4×100m Relay race final at the Carrara Stadium track in Gold Coast, Australia.
Former Commonwealth Games 100m and 200m gold medalist Blessing Okagbare Ighoteguonor went into a deluge of outbursts after running in the the Women’s 4×100m Relay race final at the Carrara Stadium track in Gold Coast, Australia.
Nigeria won bronze in the race but expectedly, all eyes were on Okagbare who couldn’t defend the 100m and 200m golds she won in the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.
The outspoken athlete didn’t disappoint at all as she opened up on the injuries that limited her appearance for Nigeria at the Games.
“When you’ve been through a lot and you start doing things and people don’t even respect it, it’s just depressing” The top sprinter began moments after helping Nigeria to emerge bronze medalist behind England and Jamaica.
“I’ve hard these crazy injuries that I can’t even complain but I’m still competing. I’m still dealing with some of them but I’m about 85 percent okay.
” I think I’ve been surprising myself by even competing in the first instance because I’m not 100 percent ready yet”
Okagbare admitted that it was boring for her not to run in the individual races the way she has done in previous international competition for Nigeria.
“It was different for me coming to the Commonwealth Games and not competing individually because I love competition.
” Therefore, winning the bronze was a actually a great thing and I’m happy I got to the podium”
On the achievements of Team Nigeria, Okagbare who was the country’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony praised her teammates for rising up to the challenges despite the challenges they have faced
“It has not been really easy for the whole team but we have strategy, vision and individuals who believe in what they can do coming here. We just go out there to be the best we can.
” When Oluwatobiloba Amusan won gold in the Women’s 100m hurdles, it was huge for the country” she stressed.