Daily Independent Online.
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Monday,June 14, 2004.
Ngerem Laments neglect of Olympic medal hopefuls
By Uzor Odigbo
Correspondent, Lagos
The consequences of
preferring one sport above the other will soon manifest even as sports ministry
has failed to support athletes on whose shoulders rest the country’s
quest for Olympic medals.
President of the
Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Dan Ngerem who frowned at a situation
where soccer was preferred than the Nation’s Olympic Amadas made this
observation
“Look, as I
am talking, no kobo has been released to either Uchenna Emedolu, Deji Aliu and
others as training grants. Yes, the camp is on in Germany, but these athletes
need some funds to prevent them from competing all-over Europe. This has made
these athletes to abandon the Olympic camp preferring to run meets for money.
But football players received five thousand Dollars for playing qualifying
match, while athletes that have already qualified have not got a
kobo,”
He said, the same
group that would condemn athletes for none performance at the Olympics are
keeping quiet over serious issues such as funds to assist athletes train.
“If there is
any moment Nigeria would win a medal in100m in athletics at the Olympics it is
now that the US athletes are being scrutinised for performance enhancing drugs.
Unfortunately, Nigeria don’t seem to take advantage of this.” Ngerem reasoned
that soccer should be given adequate attention as well as other sports; he also
added that before soccer became the beautiful bride, athletics was the driving
force and wondered why the sport is being considered as secondary to soccer in a country that won its first
Olympic gold medal in athletics.
