Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru, has finally opened up on his six-year ban from athletics, noting that he still has his own side of the story to share even while he has attempted suicide four times.
Oduduru was banned in October 2023 over doping violations after the Athletics Integrity Unit said there was “overwhelming evidence” against the former world junior silver medallist.
The violations were possession of prohibited substances and attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.
Although he didn’t test positive, Oduduru’s case was linked to that of team-mate Blessing Okagbare, who was banned for 11 years for doping in 2022.
Over a year after the pronouncement, the Nigerian athlete broke his silence and promised to shed more light on the incident.
“Thanks to everyone, to my lovely fans who have been supporting me right from the beginning of my career. I know a lot of you have been waiting to hear from me about the issue that happened,” he wrote via Instagram on Friday.
“I have been quiet all this time due to my mental health. I attempted suicide four times just wanted to end everything because all these things that happened are still a shock to me.
“After all these years of sacrifice, I will be granting interviews and I am working on coming live on Instagram to tell my side of what happened,” he said.
He holds personal bests of 9.86 seconds for the 100m and 19.73 seconds for the 200m.
The 28-year-old is a two-time Nigerian national champion and also a four-time NCAA champion while running for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
