Obikwelu Says AFN Stole His Money

       

Legendary runner Francis Obikwelu says he has no regrets of changing his nationality but still remains proudly Nigerian.Speaking to the press in Lagos yesterday, the legendary Portuguese runner of Nigerian origin Francis Obikwelu revealed some old dirty secrets of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

Obikwelu told he wasn’t happy at all when he had to dump Nigeria for Portugal but the AFN officials stole his money, left him injured without any help and simply left him with no other choice 15 years ago when he was ranked one of the best sprinters in the world.

Obikwelu told that at Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where he was ranked world’s second best sprinter, he suddenly felt acute pain in his knee, but the AFN officials simply ignored his complaint, telling he was lying about his health condition.

“I forced myself to run up till the semi-final”, recounts Obikwelu, who told that when the pain in the knee has become unbearable he visited an independent doctor who confirmed that the athlete needed immediate knee operation to save his career.

Obikwelu revealed how he was left without any help with his injuries and had to travel to Canada for the operation at his own expense. But when he returned to Nigeria unable to walk without crutches, he realised that some AFN officials stole his money.

“I went to AFN and was told that money had been approved for me, but they didn’t know where the money was,” Obikwelu told, adding that, “you can see the frustration I went through.”

On crutches, left without means to live, he had to apply for Portuguese citizenship to afford rehabilitation. However, Obikwelu told he bears no grudge against any one. “Nigeria still remains my country,” Obikwelu concluded.

Francis Obikwelu (now Portuguese) started his world careerwinning gold in the 100m and 400m respectively at the Barcelona 1992 World Junior Championships.