IKPO IGBINOBA
In spite of the furore over unpaid allowances, Nigerian wrestlers are ready to roar at the 21st Commonwealth Games billed for the Gold Coast, Australia in April.
The all-conquering wrestling team which swept the stakes at the Africa Championships hosted in Port Harcourt last month boycotted training a fortnight ago over unpaid allowances by the Sports Ministry.
The action by the wrestlers triggered fears that Nigeria’s outing at the Games would be dismal since the mats men and women are the brightest medal prospects.
However, the fears were dismissed at the weekend by the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation,NWF, Mr. Daniel Igali who gave an assurance that Nigerian wrestlers would make an impact at the Games.
He told PM Express in an exclusive interview that the wrestlers were back in training and ready for the Games.
According to him “The wrestlers are back in training and they are in high spirits. They are ready for the Games”.
He revealed that the strike action embarked upon by the wrestlers took him by surprise.
“I am so close to my wrestlers yet they didn’t hint me of their plan to boycott training”, he said, adding “I was really taken by surprise by the strike action”.
The NWF chief said the athletes agreed to resume training only after reaching an agreement with ministry officials that all issues must be resolved before they travel to the Games venue.
“Right now, the wrestlers have resumed training after reaching an agreement with the ministry officials that all issues should be resolved before travelling to the Games’ venue.
Sounding very confident Igali said “With what I have seen in camp they are ready to do the nation proud”
Igali who himself is an Olympic gold medalist spoke glowingly of the wrestlers:
He enthused “They are very determined and disciplined young men and women fired by the urge not just to win for Nigeria but for themselves”
The NWF chief added “I always tell them to think first about making a great name for themselves by winning before thinking of the country”.
In the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted by Glasgow, Scotland, wrestling contributed two gold, two silver and eight bronze to Nigeria’s total medal haul of 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze.