Acclaimed athlete, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, has spoken on her disqualification in the 100m Women’s semi-final race at the ongoing African Games in Morocco.
She was eased out following a false start she committed.
According to her, she did not raise any dust about it because she is a professional.
Interestingly, another athlete had, before her own error, committed same but refused to leave the track when asked to.
Because the other culprit was eventually allowed to continue, some felt Okagbare too could have made a case for herself.
“I watched some of the races today and felt like some people were giving a lot of red cards which were not fair,” Okagbare said.
“I’m not saying this because they gave me one. My false start was there and I was wishing for a miracle for them to allow me.
“I quickly thought they would want a show between Marie Ta Lou (Cote d’ Ivoire) and me and they would just give me a warning as I feel like that race was like a final already. I thought they would call me back but no.
“I would have stayed there and insisted that I must run whether they like it or not.
“But I have to respect protocol. I am a professional athlete and I have to be professional because it can happen anywhere.
“I don’t have series of false starts in my career. So that one was my third warning in the history of my career.
“So it has happened and that was it. I think somehow a little unfairness happen to a lot of people.
“Three people were given a red card earlier in the day. It is a final race, let these people run. But it is the competition and they are enforcing their own rule and we have to respect it,’ Okagbare told SportingLife.ng.
