Nigeria: Athletics Coaches Protest NSC Negligence

Athletics coaches across the nation have hit hard at the seeming negligence the National Sports Commission NSC has foisted on their sport.

With a tell tale of woes to show for a decade and half of athletics practice, the coaches squarely blamed the NSC for the decline of track and field, which in the past brought countless laurels to Nigeria.

The coaches spoke against the background of stalled preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India and the African Championships in Nairobi Kenya next year.

"We are already months behind in our training schedule. Does it mean that the NSC is not interested in the development of athletics?" Gabriel Opuana fired from Abuja.

He accused the present NSC boss, Sanni Ndanusa, of paying attention only to football much to the detriment of other sports.

"As the president of the Tennis Federation we all thought that he will give attention to other sports. Now we know better and are generally frustrated with lack of funding and policy somersault we are witnessing. Can you image that there is no single document yet on our preparations for the Commonwealth Games, even the athletes training here in Abuja were locked out of the National Stadium?"

Speaking from Ilorin veteran coach Harrison Momoh added that it is time the NSC paid attention to athletics because of its medals prospects at the Olympics.

"We knew what gave us result in the past. But now those things are not there anymore. After the World Championships in Berlin I thought that we would be seriously working towards getting better prepared not just for the Commonwealth Games, but for the Olympics 2012 in London", he said.