Injury and Official Negligence Blamed As Samuel Ogazi Falters At World Athletics Championships

Injury and Official Negligence Blamed As Samuel Ogazi Falters At World Athletics Championships

By Admin 

Reigning NCAA 400m champion Samuel Ogazi has cited injury and a lack of support from Team Nigeria’s officials as the reasons behind his underwhelming performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Ogazi, one of Nigeria’s top medal prospects, finished fifth in Heat 3 of the men’s 400m with a time of 45.97 seconds, well off his personal best of 44.41 seconds set in Paris last year. The race was won by the USA’s Jacory Patterson in 43.90s, with Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica (44.38s) and Collen Kebinatshipi (44.48s) following closely behind.

“I Wasn’t Ready — But They Made Me Run”

Speaking candidly after the race, Ogazi expressed frustration over the decision by Team Nigeria officials to field him despite his repeated warnings that he was unfit to compete.

 “I told Team Nigeria officials I was not prepared for the race,” Ogazi said. “First of all, my hamstring was bothering me, but they still insisted I should go and run. I did what I could, and this is the outcome.”

Ogazi explained that his condition deteriorated just days before the event.

 “On Monday, I had a very good practice and felt ready. Even on Tuesday, I felt fine. But during a light workout on Wednesday, I felt something in my hamstring. That’s when I knew something was wrong.”

Despite alerting the medical team during warm-ups, Ogazi says he was still told to compete.

 “During the warm-up, I spoke to the doctor and said I wasn't ready. He just taped my leg. I knew I wasn’t ready and I wasn’t strong yet.”

The 20-year-old also revealed he had recently recovered from a bout of COVID-19, which may have contributed to his physical decline leading up to the race.

A Season of Highs and Lows

Despite the setback in Tokyo, Ogazi reflected on what he called an “impressive and superb” season.

“Our main goal was to win the NCAA title, and we did that. After that, I was just going with the flow.”

Ogazi’s performance in the NCAA circuit earlier in the year had raised hopes that he could be a major contender on the world stage. His comments raise questions about the handling of athlete welfare by Nigerian athletics officials.

In the same 400m heats, fellow Nigerian Chidi Okezie also failed to advance, finishing eighth in Heat 2 with a time of 45.66 seconds. The race was won by Bayapo Ndori of Botswana in 44.36s.