Former
Nigerian hurdler, Gloria Alozie, has warned against forcing Blessing Okagbare
to quit running for Nigeria.
She said that it was wrong for
people to ask Okagbare to stop running for Nigeria because of her poor
performances at the African Games and 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
She said Okagbare’s time was globally competitive, stating that her age should
not be a reason for people to ask the athlete to retire.
She said, “I don’t think there
is an age that an athlete should stop running. It is about the fitness of the
athlete. She can run until any age as long as your legs are moving. Although
when one is getting older, you feel some pains and have some limitations, but I
don’t think age should be a yardstick. For example, Blessing has done very well
in the 200m this year.
“I don’t think it is a problem
yet because she didn’t run 25secs or 24secs. They have to allow her to fight
for herself. If she feels that her legs are still strong and she is not
injured, she is allowed to run because no law says that when you run till
certain age, you should retire.”
Alozie urged Nigerians to
support Okagbare in her trying times, adding, “If she feels that she is still
physically strong, why should she retire? The decision to stop running has to
come from her. For instance, I retired because I was not running fast again and
I had injuries.
“If she is physically fit and
she is running fast, she can continue. It is her decision to stop; I don’t
think it is anybody’s business.”
