Tardy Preparations For 2014 C/Wealth Games

When Team Nigeria contingent returned with 11 gold medals from the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, just as the usual practice, officials went to town to assure Nigerians that the next games, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, will be different as the athletes will undergo adequate preparations early enough to ensure that the country surpasses her record in the world championship. However, a few months before the games, lack of funds seems to be hampering preparations.

The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Omatseye Nesiama, has raised the alarm that lack of funds might derail the federation’s preparation for the games. He said the next phase of camping for the international competitions after it broke-off its conditioning camp for athletes on 31 January would depend on the availability of funds.

Similarly, wrestling, one of the events Nigeria believes it could haul medals,  hasn’t begun any serious preparations for the participants as the federation is planning to hire a foreign coach ahead of  the games. Preparation has also not really got off the ground for boxing. In tennis, top Nigerian table tennis players, Aruna Quadri and Kazeem Makanjuola, who are the nation’s medal prospects at the games, recently went for the International Table Tennis Federation, ITTF, World Tour in Kuwait and Qatar to improve their skills ahead of the Commonwealth Games, but they ended up performing below expectations at the two competitions.

We believe that preparing for a competition as huge as the Commonwealth Games should begin immediately after the last games. But complaints about lack of funds at a time President Goodluck Jonathan is splashing cash rewards on bronze winning Super Eagles at the last Africa Nations Championship, CHAN, leave much to be desired. Even Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi gave $200,000 to the team, whereas the sports authorities could not bail out other sports which are in dire need of funds to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.

While receiving the Glasgow 2014 Queens’ Baton Relay from the representatives of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mr. Sharad Rao, at the Forecourt of the Presidential Villa in Abuja recently, President Jonathan said he wanted the country’s athletes to pull off a spectacular performance in Glasgow, adding that relevant sporting authorities should ensure that a compact and powerful contingent be sent to the sporting fiesta.

Though Jonathan’s wish is a patriotic and positive one, it appears the powers that be have gone to sleep, leaving the athletes in quandary. If Team Nigeria must perform well at the Commonwealth Games this year, there is urgent need to begin serious preparations. It is not enough to pay lip service to getting the athletes ready for such a big sporting event. Funds should be made available to get the athletes fully prepared, because when the athletes fail to win medals, buck passing will be the order of the day.