A national weightlifter, Gloria Moses has declared that Nigerian athletes could excel in international competitions if provided adequate training facilities and exposed to competitions.

Moses told newsmen in Lagos that the country is blessed with talented weightlifters but that they were hampered by poor training equipment.

“It’s so unfortunate that potential talents in the country are not being encouraged to develop in the right direction, we need to be provided with the latest equipment to train.

“Also, a major setback is dearth of competitions and this aspect is very important in the career of athletes because regular competitions help to evaluate one’s level of development.

“Our counterparts in other countries are not better than us, it is just that their countries believe in their potential and are committed to develop them with the required facilities,’’ she said.

Moses, who won three gold medals in the 75kg category at the 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt in 2011, complained about the deplorable state of weightlifting gymnasium at the National Stadium, Lagos.

According to her, the dilapidated state of the gymnasium is enough to discourage any weightlifter.

“Even when one manages to train in the open field with poor available equipment, there is no place to freshen up or wash kits after training, it is a shame,’’ Moses said.

She urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to urgently rescue the athletes training at the stadium from its present condition.

According to her, putting facilities in order at the stadium will go a long way in motivating athletes to prepare for continental and intercontinental qualifiers.