Calls for inadequate funding, communication with officials, need for more competitions for home-based athletes
Nigerian athletes who took part in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo have stated that an unfavourable relationship among the officials assigned to them created considerable distractions.
In a post-Championship interview, some athletes asserted that certain officials who provided their allowances, distributed kits, and offered performance tips were largely unknown to them.
For instance, a popular athlete revealed that an official that attended to him requested to know his name. “I found it strange and asked my colleagues, what is this? He stated that people we used to know and interact with in our sport were unavailable, and there were strange faces everywhere.”
Despite regretting the performance of some athletes at the Tokyo championship, they insisted that more should have been done to support them during preparations for the World Championships.
The athletes recommended that Nigeria prioritize funding their training and competitions, noting that other countries are seeking to recruit them.
They acknowledged that athletes are motivated by financial incentives as well as excellent welfare packages.
However, they pleaded for anonymity for obvious reasons and further highlighted issues that bothered on makeshift kits, meager allowances, and inadequate communication with officials, emphasizing the need for more competitions for home-based athletes
