NAN-S-22
Training
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, March 8, 2017 (NAN) Austin Chima, a Lagos-based para-athletics coach, on Wednesday expressed displeasure with the poor response of athletes to training activities planned to keep them in top shape.
Chima told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he has no fewer than 15 athletes under his supervision for training usually held at the National Stadium in Lagos.
“The response is reducing, as athletes no longer come for training and I am not happy about it because I have prepared the programmes for a specified time.
“But the reasons for this are obvious. There are no competitions to augment our efforts and the only way the athletes can express their frustration is to pull out from the training schedules,” he said.
The coach said competitions were important for the athletes as they help them to prepare well for international tournaments, which help provide them a source of income.
Chima said the athletes’ last exposure to national competitions was in 2015, during preparations and selection for the country’s representatives to the African Games in Brazzaville, Congo.
“Athletes want to showcase their skills, socialise with their mates and improve their records on the platform of competitions, but they are not getting these in recent times.
“Sometimes, they get allowances or cash reward for good performances when competitions are organised, and such support helps to sustain the athletes.
“But after the African Games in 2015, we have not had any national championships, and this is not good for the image of the sport, and it is affecting the zeal of athletes,” he added.
The coach added that the situation had compelled him to reduce his athletes’ weekly training days from six to three days, saying Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays have been observed henceforth.(NAN)
MIL/ESAN/OLAL
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(Edited by Abiodun Esan and Olawale Alabi)