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Nigeria: Olympics - Country in Trouble
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Vanguard (Lagos)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Onochie Anibeze
Lagos
President Umaru Yar'Adua has charged the Nigerian Olympic team to win eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
This will remain a dream even if possible medals from the Para-Olympics are added to the expected total haul.
Reason: The athletes are no longer hopeful of any meaningful outing in Beijing following lack of funds that would have aided their adequate preparation. Eighteen weightlifters and some officials left for South Africa Tuesday night without money.
They were given their flight tickets (bought on credit from a travel agency) and asked to go and do their best for Nigeria.
They are in South Africa for last Beijing Olympics qualifiers which start tomorrow. But with no money for their allowances, personal use and even feeding, they will be left at the mercy of their hosts and exposed to undue circumstances. Weightlifting is one of the few sports Nigeria hopes to win medals from.
Other sports are equally in trouble. Even football, which usually receives reasonable attention, is suffering.
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Samson Siasia was yesterday running between his training ground to the Nigeria Football Association office and the sports ministry now National Sports Commission. He was battling to raise money to pay for the training camp he has already secured in Portugal.
The deadline for the payment elapsed Wednesday and he was making contacts yesterday for extension. His fear was that other countries may displace Nigeria there. It was not clear, at press time, if he succeeded.
Siasia's other programmes are equally shaky as no funds have been made available to the team and other Beijing-bound teams.The NSC is yet to be given money for the Olympics and this has jeopardised Olympic
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