NAN-S-7
Para-athletics
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, July 13, 2017 (NAN) Kashumu Taiwo, Technical Director, Para-Athletics Federation of Nigeria (PFN) and an athlete, Lauretta Onye, have lamented Nigeria’s absence at the World Para-Athletics Championships which start in London on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the country’s absence at the July 14 to July 23 competition, according to them, is due to paucity of funds.
Taiwo told NAN that the paucity of funds had made it impossible for Nigeria to participate in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships.
He said the development would affect the athletes in many areas as far as the competition was concerned.
“It is unfortunate that Nigerian athletes will be missing at the championships.
“I believe a lot of reasons are behind it, but the fact remains that there is no money.
“The painful thing is that their non-participation will affect their competitiveness and rankings,’’ he said.
Onye, a 2016 Summer Paralympic gold medalist in Rio, Brazil, told NAN that in spite of their preparations for the competition, they had yet to receive any information from the sports authorities.
She said that PFN had organised national trials at the National Stadium, Lagos in May where some athletes qualified to represent the country at the championships.
“I should be asking if we are actually going for the championships because there is no sign or information from the sports authorities to give us hope of participation.
“So, to be frank, I am not sure that we are taking part in the championships which begins on Friday in London. It is not encouraging at all.
“We had high hopes when the national trials were held in May here in Lagos and we expected adequate follow-up because of the importance of the championships; but nothing,’’ Onye said.
The F40 Shot Put Class athlete told NAN that their absence from the championships would deny some of them the opportunity to boost their rankings and their rivals would take advantage of it.
Onye, also a 2015 International Paralympics Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships gold medalist, said the country’s athletes had also missed three championships held earlier.
“Three IPC championships have come and gone since the beginning of this year and we did not feature; first in Tunisia in March, the second was April in Italy and in France in June.
“It is not encouraging that after the 2016 Paralympics we have not participated in championships that are necessary to sustain or improve our levels,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the World Para-Athletics Championships, organised by IPC is a biennial competition where athletes that are intellectually and physically challenged are allowed to compete in some events. (NAN)
MIL/ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Oluwole Sogunle/Peter Ejiofor)