Team Nigeria Storm Mauritius -For Africa Junior Athletics Championship -NSC Task Athletes For Fair Participation BY OKE OLUKU Team Nigeria junior athletes will today depart the country for Port Louis, Mauritius venue of the Africa Junior Athletics Championships beginning on Thursday, even as the National Sports Commission (NSC) tasked athletes on fair competition. The 26 athletes and eight officials will depart the Muritala Mohammed airport, Lagos for the three-day championship which begins on Thursday August 29th through September 1st 2013. While on a visit to the team in Sapele camp during the weekend, Delta State, the NSC advises the athletes to be good ambassadors and compete fairly with the aim of forging ahead with success at the back of their mind in their chosen sport. Speaking un-behalf of the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, his Special Assistant and former queen of the tracks Mary Onyali, tasked the young athletes to compete and make friends with their counterparts from other countries. Elegbeleye also assured that the ministry will ensure they do not lack anything necessary to propel them to greater heights during and after the competition. “As athletes of the future, Nigerians are expecting your best effort to defend the country’s image and integrity. On our part, you will not lack anything that will ensure your success in Mauritius.” Explaining the athlete’s early departure, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Technical Director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama informed that early departure was to give athletes two days to acclimatize before the championship begins. He noted that as young athletes, they would require time to adapt to the new environment in order to perform successfully. “At this stage we are not looking for medals, but to groom these athletes for the future.” On the expected performance in Mauritius, the technical director insisted that, “These crops of athletes are the best we can harness for now. They have been in camp for months, from Port Harcourt to Sapele, training and strategizing. It would be unfortunate if they fail, but we are not putting pressure on them,” he said, Reacting to the director general’s speech, some of the coaches affirmed strong confidence in the team and promise to deliver through hard work and determination displayed through the athletes commitments to training while in Sapele camp.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 17:59:21 +0000
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