Nigerian athletes urged to avoid illicit drugs

Chioma Ojunwa
Nigeria's First Olympic gold medallist

Nigerian athletes urged to avoid illicit drugs

Nigerian athletes have been advised to avoid the use of illicit drugs, as they had the capacity to ruin careers and endanger heath.

Mrs Chioma Ojunwa, Nigeria's first Olympic gold medallist, gave the advice on Monday on the sideline of the 10th Biennial Nigeria Police Games which kicked-off on March 3 at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The gold medallist said that if Nigerians could do away with such drugs, the prevalence of diseases like cancer and mental retardation would reduce.
  
“Well, the advice I give to my fellow athletes as a police officer, is that, whatever thing they want to do, they should do it well; I was once a police officer and at the same time, I was an athlete just because I was doing it from the depth of my heart.
 
“Then I was able to make a different and to come to the limelight.
 
“The people that are participating now should be focused, be determined and disciplined. When they get these three things, I believe heaven will be their limit, because police will give them the whole support in the whole world for them to train and become future champions of Nigeria.”

The gold medallist has a foundation, ‘Chioma Ajunwa Foundation,' established to campaign against the use of drugs in sports and the society. The foundation grooms young athletes that could represent Nigeria in international events.

“We don't do any other thing order than to go to the grassroots to get these athletes and prepared them and make sure that they become our future champions,” she said.
  
Ajunwa won a gold medal in the long jump event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, where she jumped 7.12 metres.

NAN/Williams