Referee Calls For Equal Opportunities At Championships

Enyimba striker running with the ball

A weightlifting ref
eree, Reginald Briggs, has called for equal opportunities for athletes to be able to prove their mettle at national championships.
Briggs made the call in an interview with  newsmen in Lagos, yesterday against the backdrop of complaints made by athletes against favouritism.
The referee said that if athletes were dealt with on the basis of merit, there would be no cause for complain among them.
Briggs said that such practice would curb the idea of featuring a particular set of athletes always to represent the country at international events.
“We have athletes, whose skills have been overused in various championships and the truth is that some of them are dropping.
“I am more particular with the future of young athletes because the system of inviting existing champions at national trials, denies them opportunity of proving themselves.
“There has to be room for challenges because some of the known champions sleep on their glory as they are sure that their chances are always there.
“The truth is that many good athletes are springing up and we must encourage them; as those athletes we believe in have failed us, we have to restructure,’’ he said.
Briggs, an international certified referee, said that the step was necessary to enable a thorough selection of athletes, in spite of their previous record at any level of tournament.