ABUJA – Eric Campbell, Performance Director (Athletics) of the National Sports Commission (NSC) has said that the A level athletes would begin to arrive Abuja from June 16 in preparation for the 2015 All Africa Games (AAG).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AAG is scheduled to hold in Congo Brazzaville from Sept. 4 to Sept. 19 with about 54 countries expected to participate.
Campbell told NAN on Thursday in Abuja that the athletes would arrive at the NSC’s High Performance Hostel ahead of the opening of the AAG camp by the end of June.
“We have a number of athletes that we are working with; there are good numbers of Nigerian athletes around the world that are competing in various international competitions and we are counting on them.
“We will also take few athletes from ongoing athletics competition in Port Harcourt and bring them to Abuja even before the hostel is put to use.
“A training process will be initiated for the athletes and once we start the All Africa Games camp, they will move in with everyone,’’ Campbell said.
According to Campbell, the NSC will ensure that athletes moving into the High Performance Hostel are potential finalists at the Games.
He said that the NSC and the performance directors were working tirelessly to ensure the country met up with its preparation plan.
“We have to make sure that we are not losing time; we have to make use of every second and minute that we have in a day,’’ he said.
Campbell expressed optimism that Nigeria would be the country to beat at the Games.
“Now that things have started moving forward, expectation can be a little more realistic; there will be progress in ensuring that our athletes get to the podium and that is what we mean by going forward.
“We wished that this hostel inauguration had happened a year ago but now we can move forward with some of the programme that requires the athletes to be present.
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“Record shows that every time we work on these athletes, it does not last long because of challenges but now, we have a hostel where we can have our hands on them more,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that Tammy Danagogo, the Minister of Sports, inaugurated the High Performance Hostel on behalf of the Vice-President Namadi Sambo, on May 27. (NAN)
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