Not ready to ‘die’ in silence, some Nigerian athletes have cried out saying that are negatively feeling the dastardly effect of the hardship in the country. They described the situation as career ending development.
Majority of the athletes, who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed dismay over not being able eat a square meal daily these days unlike in the past.
Some of them expressed fears as the prevalent adverse situation in the country could force majority of them to end their athletics career abruptly.
“To train for competition as an athlete, I used to drink Gari,” one of them said. “The pathetic aspect was that my first real meal in two months was in Accra, Ghana when Team Nigeria participates in the CAA Senior Athletics Championships. Before then, I usually survive on junk food and for an athlete, this is dangerous”.
The athlete continues: “Many of us have similar experience but are ashamed to tell anyone.”
He revealed that the reason he is crying out is to alert the public that athletes are not finding life easy, but it is convenient for the public to apportion blame and be critical when athletes perform very poorly in competitions”
“I am a graduate, and I chose sports, especially athletics because I am talented and doing well too.”
He however described athletes that represented Nigeria at the CAA Zone ll Athletics Championships in Ghana as brave.
“My colleagues are brave and resilient. Some of them came to Ghana with Ijebu Gari, not for fun but as a standby necessity. Thank God Nigeria did well at Zone ll Athletics Championships. We are also grateful to AFN leadership for giving us allowance, unlike what happened after the Africa Games where allowance was not paid immediately. With it, a lot could be achieved, at least, in buying some vitamins and food stuff to train for competitions ahead.”
“With this allowance, some of us will be able to pay back the money we borrowed. I know that some of us might not make the team after AFN National Trials in Benin and CAA Championships in Douala Cameroun, so the struggle continues. I am pleading with Nigerians to assist the AFN with funds for us to do well.
Sports-loving people must assist sports to grow in Nigeria,” the athlete stated.
