Nigerian star athletes, Blessing Okagbare and rising star, Divine Oduduru missed out the Lausanne Diamond league that was held on Thursday due to issues with their visa
Okagbare was to run in the 100m while Divine Oduduru was to debut in the 200m in the Diamond league.
Nigerians had anticipated the race from the two sprinters as Oduduru was to run his first professional race after NCCA but were disappointed not to find his name in the list.
It was later confirmed from reports that due to a visa problem the two couldn’t make it.
Divine Oduduru was to line up alongside some of the world’s best sprinters: Noah Lyles, Guliyev & De Grassi and it would have been Oduduru’s first outing since winning NCAA titles & turning pro last month.
Blessing Okagbare’s was to compete at Lausanne Diamond League in 100m against Ta Lou, Fraser-Pryce!
Blessing Okagbare ran the second fastest time in the world in 2019, beating a stacked field to win the women’s 200m at the Standford Diamond League PreClassic.
Only Elaine Thompson (22.00s) has run faster than Okagbare in the 200m this season. 22.05s is the second fastest time in the world this year.
The Lausanne Diamond league woulld have been the first time in three years that two Nigerian athletes (male & female) will compete at the same Diamond League meet, since Blessing Okagbare & Tosin Oke at the Paris meeting in 2016. This year, both Okagbare & Tobi Amusan competed at the Doha Diamond league in May.
The next Diamond league meet is in Monaco and the Blessing and Divine are hoped to take part in 100 and 200 respectively.
By Uche Dozie
Twitter: uchedozie3
