London 2012: 70 Nigerians qualify

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, Abuja
A total of 70 Nigerian  sportsmen have qualified for the London 2012 Olympics and Para Olympics games scheduled to begin next July and August respectively.

This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by the Supervising Minister for Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi while presenting the achievements of the ministry during Ministerial Platform organised by the Minister of Information Mr Labaran Maku and held yesterday at the Radio House Abuja.

According to Abdullahi, a break down of sportsmen and women who have qualified for the forth-coming global  games include 13 males and 13 females for athletics; two males and one female for boxing; one male for canoeing; two males and two females for table tennis and two males for taekwondo; one female and one male for weightlifting and two males and two females for wrestling.

Said he: “For the Paralympic Games,  five males and four females have qualified for the athletics; three males for the table tennis and eight males and eight females for power-lifting.”

He further explained that in order to expose Nigeria’s athletes adequately to the highest training and facilities available, the National Sports Commission had established four off-shore camps in Germany, United States and England. The camp in South Korea will be used by athletes preparing for Taekwondo and the Paralympic sports.

“Already Nigerian sportsmen and women preparing for participation in the  track and field events at London Games have been in camp since March and have competed in international events at Mount Sac, Pensylvannia and Atlanta.

He further stated that after the qualifiers, those who sailed through in wrestling, boxing and weight-lifting have been  camping in Yenagoa, Benin and Owerri after which they would leave for intensive off-shore training in Germany.

The Sports Minister  further stated that pre-games training camp in Surrey England shall serve as a collection point for all Team Nigeria athletes and technical officers between 3rd and 18th July 2012 while the Paralympians shall move into the same camp on August 18th.