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Dropped Para-Olympics Athletes Seek Justice By Femi Solaja Controversies that trailed the selection of Team Nigeria athletes to a woeful outing at the Athens Olympic Games, which ends this weekend in Greece, may spill over to the Para- Olympics contingent following the non inclusion of some athletes that made the required standard for the competition, which commences 17th of next month. Some of the dropped athletes who spoke to THISDAYSports yesterday at the National Stadium Lagos, expressed disappointment at being dropped from the list of athletes for the Liberty Stadium Ibadan, local camping which commenced yesterday. One of them Uchechukwu Achi, who was to compete in power lifting, said 19 of them were scheduled for the games alongside seven others in track and field but the Sports Ministry claimed they did not have enough funds to sponsor all of them and as such the list was pruned to 10 lifters of which seven female and three male while track and field were reduced to five. "In as much as we are used to 'lack of fund syndrome', it is pathetic to note that 19 officials will now accompany 15 athletes to the games even when it is obvious that the dropped athletes can also add to the number of medals Nigeria will win at the games. "We've gone through the qualifying series and if we miss it now it will take us another four years to have this opportunity, unfortunately we are not getting younger or after active service, were do we go from here, hence we are appealing to the Ministry to give us due consideration," said the last All Africa Games silver medallist in 85 kg. Other dropped athletes include, Anthony Imbimoh 52kg, Dickson Smith 60 kg, Obioma Aligekwe 56 kg, Sadiq Animashahun 56 kg and the Chief coach John Oguntayo. However, the spokesman of the Special Sports Federation, John Akpodovan explained that when it became necessary to reduce the list, "the performance chart of individual athlete was taken into consideration as to whether they can meet up with medal haul at the international meet," he explained. Who Are We ? | About THISDAYOnLine.com | THISDAY People | Contact Us © Copyright 2000 Leaders & Company Limited

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