Ex-Olympians To Train Home-Based Athetetes

Olympians will, henceforth, be placed in charge of grooming the home-based athletes, President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba says.

Ogba, who disclosed this to newsmen at the unveiling ceremony of the 2012 programme of events of the federation in Abuja on Monday, added that U.S.-based Innocent Egbunike would be head coach of the federation for now.

He said that Egbunike would be assisted by 12 others, who would groom those who would make the 2012 London Olympic Games,and subsequent competitions.

Ogba did not, however, give the names of the other coaches.

He lamented the declining performance of Nigeria in sports, adding that it was regrettable that the National Sports Festival was being run like school sports, instead of being given the required priority attention.

He said the federation needed enormous financial backing so as to boost the morale of athletes ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.

“We are looking for funding to support our athletes. We have drawn a budget of about N315 million to participate well in the Olympics. We are calling on governments to support us, so that we can give the athletes training grants early enough,’’ he said.

According to Ogba, 34 of the athletes have so far qualified for the Olympics.