Head Coach, Nigeria
Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPF), Are Feyisetan, says preparations have commenced in earnest ahead of the Commonwealth Games holding from July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Feyisetan told newsmen in Lagos that the preparations were to avoid overworking the athletes if eventually they were invited for national camp for the Games.
“The Games is around the corner and it is very important to keep the lifters in form. The purpose is to have adequate time to gradually exploit the training programmes.
“What we are doing now can be described as open camp, so, in the closed camp, we will only fine-tune what we have learnt and in a more concentrated environment,’’ he said.
He, however, complained that the available facility used for training was substandard and insufficient for the number of athletes preparing for the Games.
“We are just managing what is on ground, but sincerely, they are bad and even risky, but at the same time, we have refused to be discouraged by the situation.
“Before, we train outside opposite the weightlifting gymnasium but the place is presently messy and unhealthy for us, so, we moved inside the gym but the illumination is very poor.
“Because of the few facilities, I have to roaster the athletes just to make sure that every one of them that comes for training gets an opportunity to train,’’ he said.
The coach appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to intensify efforts and make adequate arrangement to invite the powerlifters to national camp to augment its ongoing training.
Para-powerlifting is among the para-sports listed by the Nigeria Olympic Committee that would represent the country at the Games in Scotland.