The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation on Friday said that two players selected to represent the country at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Scotland have shunned its call-up to camp.
Edem Offiong and Cecilia Otu-Akpan, both female players, are part of the players selected for final camping in Lagos ahead of the Games.
The Commonwealth Games is scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3.
Anderson Bankole, the NTTF technical director, said that the federation has made several attempts to contact the two players on telephone, but they have refused to turn-up in camp.
“They have refused to pick calls from NTTF members and their reason for refusing to honour the national call is not known to us,” Bankole said.
Bankole said that the players had not been part of the camping and training for more than three weeks, before they were called to camp.
He said that they also missed out in the medical examination and briefing given to other athletes on the guidelines for the games.
“They have missed out in so many of the programmes lined-up towards having a remarkable outing at the games,” he said.
Bankole said that the games was a major tournament that can not be taken with levity by any player or coach.
“We are in for serious business and we will not condone indiscipline either among the athletes or officials,” he said.
When asked if the players could still join others in camp, he said that the federation could not guarantee their level of fitness and shape.
He said: “I can’t categorically ascertain if they are in shape to compete at the games because they have been part of our preparations for a while and nothing is known about them.
“We do not know what they were up to and if they have been training on their own or not.”
Bankole, however, assured that the absence of the two players would not affect the performance of the country in the table tennis event at the games.
He said: “There are other female players in camp who are equally good and can fit in, in the absence of the two players.
“There is no cause for panic as Nigeria will still do well at the games.”
The NTTF team of five male and five female players would be featuring in the five table tennis events at the games.
Nigeria will also compete in seven sports at the games.
The events are: athletics, table tennis, wrestling, Boxing, weightlifting, shooting and all sports for the physically-challenged (para-sports).
Efforts to reach Cecilia Otu-Akpan on telephone failed as she refused to answer her calls.
Nigeria placed ninth at the last games held in New Delhi, India in 2010 with 11 gold, eight silver and 14 bronze medals.
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