AFN laments govt’s neglect of athletics

Nigeria’s foremost sports scientist, Dr. Ken Anugweje, who midwives the High Performance Centre for home-based athletes at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), has expressed his disappointment that a federation like the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is not getting any support from either the Federal Government or Corporate Nigeria.
Anugweje, a Medical Doctor and Director of Sports, UNIPORT, said Nigeria is probably the only country in the world where the people are passionate about football yet, government still spends billions of naira on the sport.
“I think the sporting press needs to educate our leaders that in nations where people are passionate about football, the sports fund itself, but here our government spends billions of Naira on football yearly.
“Since the board of AFN was inaugurated in May 2013, government has not given us a kobo as subvention, yet football gets billions of Naira.’’
Inspite of lack of funding, Anugweje, a board member of the AFN, revealed that the board led athletes to successes at the Moscow 2013 World Championship, African Junior 2013 and 2015, Africa Youth, World Junior, Commonwealth Games, Africa Senior Championship and many other international championships.
AFN will take another giant step in its drive to develop young talents and also provide a good training environment for stars athletes based home as it commissions it High Performance Center at the University of Port Harcourt come May 25.
The centre which equipped with facilities found in similar centers worldwide also has a standard accommodation for athletes, while those who are in school can take advantage of University of Port Harcourt schools to acquire education at all levels.
Expected to declare the center open is the President of Confederation of Africa Athletics – Hamad Kalkaba Malboum and AFN President, Solomon Ogba.