Festus Abu
Reports that the sports ministry is allegedly planning to prune athletes for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia have reportedly ignited tensions in the Lagos camps of the boxers and powerlifters preparing for the competition.
The Commonwealth Games Federation, organisers of the competition, has since confirmed that Nigeria will participate in nine sports in the April 4-15 event.
They are athletics, boxing, basketball, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, para-athletics, para-powerlifting and para-table tennis.
And the domestic-based athletes have been camping in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt for two months preparing ahead of the Games.
The ministry last week reduced the number of athletes in the Lagos camps, with all eight table tennis players sent packing.
Sixteen boxers were asked to leave while only three para-athletes were retained.
Our correspondent learnt that the ministry is battling with inadequate funding for the Games and has decided to cut down on the number of athletes for the competition.
Ministry sources told our correspondent that only four boxers (two men and two women) might be selected out of the 16 (eight men and eight women) in camp for the Games.
The boxers in camp are Caroline Linus, Aishat Oriyomi, Yetunde Odunayo, Fadilat Tijani, Itunnu Oriola, Bola Shogbamu, Jacinta Nnunakwe, Millicent Agbaegbulem, Sikiru Fatai Ojo and Abayomi Rotimi.
The rest are Kazeem Soyoye, Agu Ibrahim,Osita Umeh, Waheed Shogbamu, Lukmon Lawal and Olademeji Salami.
Suwaibidu Galadima, Saidi Adedeji and Goodness Duru are the para-athletes in camp.
It was also learnt that the ministry might be forced to take only four powerlifters to Australia if they failed to convince the Federal Government to release more funds towards the country’s participation in the 70-nation Games being hosted by the Oceanian nation for the fifth time.
Sources said some other athletes in camp had been gripped by tension as rumours continue to circulate that the contingent to the Games would be drastically reduced due to cash problems.
“There is tension within the boxing and powerlifting camps because of the reports that the ministry is planning to pick only four boxers and four powerlifters for the Games,” the ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the record about the issue, said.
“We are not happy with the development but we are helpless because the ministry can’t take many athletes to Australia.”
The source added, “It’s a pity the table tennis players were asked to leave. They should have told them that they would only take the foreign-based players.”
Another source close to the Gold Coast 2018 preparations claimed that some of the secretaries of the federations for the Games are also worried they could be omitted from the trip.
However, Nneka Anibeze, media aide to sports minister Solomon Dalung, denied that any athletes would be dropped for the Games due to inadequate funding.
“It’s mere speculation; all I know is that every athlete who meets the required standard for the Games will be taken to Australia,” she told our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.
“I’m aware that some of the federations have conducted their trials and those who qualified have been retained.”
Anibeze added, “No athlete who qualified to represent the country at the Games will be dropped because of funds. The ministry is on course for the Games and I’m not aware of any funding problem.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: theeditor@punchng.com
source http://punchng.com/ministry-set-to-axe-more-cgames-athletes/
No comments:
Post a Comment