C’wealth: Team Nigeria departs in batches

Nigeria’s contingent to the 2014 Commonwealth Games holding in Glasgow, Scotland have departed the country in batches, following the non-release of funds to enable them to attend training tours ahead of the games. The situation was a departure from the past when the athletes were handed over to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) as representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Nigeria. Nigeria will compete in boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, shooting, athletics, table tennis and para-powerlifting. Secretary of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Olushola Luke, told National Mirror that only the National Sports Commission (NSC) could decide on the athletes’ foreign training while declining further comments. Secretary of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Mrs. Chinedu Ezealah- Ogundare, said her team would wait for orders from the NSC before departing Lagos for London. President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba, has however solicited funds from private concerns to meet obligations towards the games. “I have personally visited the athletes abroad to provide monetary incentives, in addition to organising championships without funds from the NSC,” Ogba said. Interestingly, Director General of National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, had said that the Sports Ministry had budgeted N4billion for the games. Meanwhile, Elegbeleye will be Nigeria’s Chef De Mission to Glasgow while NSC’s Director of Elite Athletes, Bolaji Ojo- Oba, is the Deputy.