The Ministry of Youth and Sports has finalised preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, as it held a meeting on Thursday with the 10 Federations’ presidents whose athletes would take part in the Games.
The federations representing Nigeria at Gold Coast 2018 are athletics, basketball, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, gymnastics, para-table tennis, para-athletics, para-powerlifting.
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, said the meeting was to scrutinise and defend the athletes’ participation at the Games, evaluate their prospects and finalise arrangements for the last phase of training before the games.
“This is a down to earth meeting on our level of preparation. It is to convince be on how we will win medals based on the preparations we have made so far. The meeting is intended for the federations to defend the athletes they are presenting to us that we will be taking to this competition. Therefore, we must review and reappraise the level of our preparations and look at those grey areas which may be a cog in the wheel to a successful outing in Australia.”
At the meeting, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBF), represented by its vice president, Babs Ogunade said that due to the unavailability of their professionals at this time due to the on-season, the US-based players will only be available for camping two weeks to the opening of the Games village.
Wrestling team will be represented by six male and six female wrestlers. President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali expressed confidence that his wrestlers will perform creditably following their performance at the recently-held African Wrestling Championship in Rivers State.
Igali however, opted to train his athletes in Nigeria which he said would augur well for the team’s training programme. The team will depart for Australia on March 2 [tomorrow].
The Weightlifting Federation, fresh from the qualifiers in Uganda also boasts of a Nigerian referee who will officiate at the Commonwealth Games. They will be represented by two male and two female lifters.
Athletics have the largest contingent of 37 athletes comprising 17 male and 20 female athletes. Three athletes including Divine Oduduru will not be at the games due to school activities likewise gymnast Uche Eke.The Gymnastics Federation will be presenting a gymnast.
Athletics will hold their final training for 10 days while its top 10 athletes will attend the World indoors in Birmingham before arriving on March 1.
Table tennis Federation has five male players. They will begin camping three weeks before the games which is when they’ll be released by their various clubs.
The para-powerlifting athletes will spend one month in the Gold Coast for training while its president, Queen Idris Uboh requested for loaders.
Para-table tennis will present two players and two from para-athletics.
Dalung also directed the 10 affected federations to submit their kit requirements in the next 48hrs, as he warned that presidents will be held responsible for the disappearance of their athletes, while there will be zero tolerance to drug enhancement offences.
He charged them to ensure that Nigeria’s name is not dragged in the mudduring the Games.
A total of 90 athletes and 43 team officials will be making the trip to the Gold Coast. The 2018 Commonwealth Games will hold from April 4 to 15 while the Athletes Games Village opens on March 25.
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