The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Omatseye Nesiama, said on Wednesday that paucity of fund might derail the federation’s preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Nesiama made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
According to Nesiama, the commencement of the next phase of camping for international competitions after it broke-off its conditioning camp for athletes on January 31 would depend on the availability of funds, adding: “The only thing that is actually affecting us is lack of funds because to keep the athletes in camp, we need funds and the fund that we got was just enough for the conditioning period.
“Now that we are going into specifics, I have discussed with the national performance director.
“The National Sports Commission is also involved.
“I have discussed with the Director-General and the Minister of sports.
“They are willing to support us further.
“That is being worked out right now.
“So, once that is done and the budget is approved, they (athletes) will be admitted into the performance system and from there the performance system will take care of them (athletes).
“Once that is done, I think, they (athletes) will come back to camp.’’
Nesiama also said that funds were also needed to camp athletes for the Africa Youth Games scheduled to take place in Gaborone, Botswana, between May 22 and May 31.
He noted that athletes for the International Association of Athletics Federations Indoor Championships scheduled for Sopot, Poland between March 7 and March 9 would be carefully selected.
He said: “For you to qualify for the youth games, you have to be born in 1997 and 1998.
“Anybody before then will be disqualified because they have graduated to the junior.
“The ones we discovered during the national youth games we have put the list together and we are going to invite them to camp very soon.
“The team we are taking to the indoors, we have the standard we have set.
“And they (athletes) are all aware.
“Anybody that meets the standard will go for the indoors.
“For now. we have sent the preliminary entries and we’re awaiting their (athletes) performance this season.
“Between now and February ending, when the final entry will be made, that will determine those that will go for the world indoors.”
Nesiama gave the assurance that the multi-million naira NSC High Performance Centre in the Abuja National stadium would be put to use by the end of February.
He added that the third phase of the conditioning camp would commence after the AFN’s All-Comers Over-distance and Distance Relays, if the funds were available.
The competition is scheduled to take place between February 14 and 15 in Sagamu, Ogun State.
NAN recalls that the first phase of conditioning camp ended in Abuja on December 20, 2013.
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