May 10, (THEWILL) – Eric Lira, the key figure in the doping controversy surrounding Nigerian athlete, Blessing Okagbare, has entered a guilty plea to the charges filed against him by U.S authorities.
The Texas-based therapist now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years for his admission of supplying performance-enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes including the banned Okagbare. U.S. authorities disclosed that Lira, a self-proclaimed “naturopathic” therapist, located in El Paso, is the first person to be convicted under a recently implemented American law aimed at combating international doping fraud schemes, following Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping scandals.
The Department of Justice stated that the 2020 law, named after Russian whistleblower, Grigory Rodchenkov, provides the legal framework to prosecute individuals involved in such conspiracies. Investigations revealed that Lira had provided substances to Okagbare ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The once-acclaimed African Queen of the Tracks had already progressed to the women’s 100m semi-finals before being expelled from the Games and subsequently slapped with an 11-year ban.
U.S. Attorney, Damian Williams, described the case as a “watershed moment for international sport.” Williams emphasised that Lira’s actions of supplying banned performance-enhancing substances to Olympic athletes were aimed at corruptly gaining a competitive advantage and undermining the integrity of the Games. Lira’s sentencing will be determined at a later date.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
