AFN floats insurance scheme to cater for athletes’ needs

The President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Ibrahim Gusau, says the board has put in place Insurance policies to cater for the needs of the nation’s serving and retired athletes.

Gusau made disclosure on Wednesday at the Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital when he visited Olympic silver medallist, Gloria Kemasuode Ubiebor, who is undergoing treatment for a health challenge.

The president, who was accompanied by a doctor from the Federal Ministry of Sports, said he was pleased to have met Gloria in stable condition, pledging that AFN would continue to monitor the situation of the ailing athlete.

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He commended journalists in Bayelsa for bringing to the fore, Gloria’s medical plight.

Gusau urged Nigerians to see themselves as members of the same family because what affects one affects the other.

Dr James Omietimi, Head of Clinical Services at the Federal Medical Centre, said the former athlete was in stable condition because she was responding to treatment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ubiebor was part of Nigeria’s quartet at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where she finished third in the women’s 4 x 100 meters relay.

Ubiebor finished alongsisde Agnes Osazuwa, Oludamola Osayomin Ene Franca Idoko and Halimat Ismaila clocking 43.04 seconds, finishing behind Russia and Belgium.

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But in 2016, Russia were disqualified and stripped of their gold medal due to doping violations, thereby promoting Ubiebor and her teammates to silver medal position.

Ubiebor was also in the Nigerian 4 x 100 meters women’s team that won gold at the Africa Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier in 2008, returning in a time of 43.04 seconds.