NAN-S-3
Camp
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, Oct. 12, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF) has assured its Mexico-bound lifters that they would soon be invited to camp ahead of the World Championships as a new date has been fixed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the championships which was earlier scheduled to hold in Mexico in September was postponed due to an earthquake which ravaged Mexico City on Sept. 19.
The Secretary of NPPF, Oludayo Abulude, told NAN on Thursday in Lagos that the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) sanctioned championships would now hold from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7.
Abulude added that adequate preparations for the camping of the athletes would commence in earnest, now that a new date has been fixed by the IPC.
“Our plans to invite the selected lifters to national camp were disrupted by the postponement because of the earthquake problem which happened in Mexico, venue of the championships.
“We just got a message from the IPC on the new date, so with this development, we will endeavour to release our camping programme for the athletes very soon.
“It’s part of qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, so we plan to make the camp worthy so that they will have good welfare and be focused,’’ he said.
He also applauded the lifters for keeping faith by training regularly on their own in their states, in spite of the postponement.
The secretary said that the athletes had exhibited a commendable impression, and that the body would give them the necessary support to excel and clinch Tokyo Paralympics tickets in the forthcoming championships.
NAN reports that no fewer than 10 athletes comprising six females and four males will represent Nigeria in the powerlifting event.
They include Latifat Tijani 45kg, Lucy Ejike -61kg, Ndidi Nwosu 73kg, Bose Omolayo 79kg, Lovely Obiji 86kg, Roland Ezurike 54kg, Paul Kehinde 55kg, Nnamdi Innocent 72kg, Adeshola Yakubu. (NAN)
MIL/ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)