Wrestling: Why Nigeria Doesn't Win Olympic Medals —Power Lee

pmnews-placeholder

The current Nigerian Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, Godspower Ekpede, a.k.a Power Lee, has said that Nigeria fails to win medals in the wrestling events of the Olympic Games because of the poor facilities they use for training.

The Delta State-born wrestler said because of the bad mats the athletes train on, he foresees the country performing badly again at the London Olympics, which hold in July this year.

Power Lee, who is also nicknamed Mr. Peace, said because wrestling is a contact sport; Nigerian wrestlers need to train on good mats to master the moves and tricks of the sport.

“I know Nigerian athletes can do great at the Olympics if the government is ready to fund and support them. If Nigerian amateur wrestlers have the necessary facilities to train ahead of the Games, they will be able to compete favourably with their counterparts in the world and win medals for the country in the Olympics.

Related News

“Unfortunately, these wrestlers are not well catered for. No good facilities for the athletes not only in wrestling but in all other sports. It is painful to see our amateur wrestlers training on bad mats. They need standard facilities to boost their morale,” he said.

Power Lee appealed to the government to take all athletes who are going to the Olympics on training tours to gain more exposure and experience about the techniques of their respective events.

He said: “The athletes must be dedicated and remain focused to do the best. But the government should be ready to do its part by giving them good preparation to perfect their skills ahead of the Games.”

—Jeminat Adamson

Load more