Tokyo 2020: Nigerian Weightlifters In Abuja Camp With No Olympic Tickets

Seven Nigerian weightlifters, who are currently in camp in Abuja preparing for the Summer Olympic Games, are not qualified to participate at the Tokyo Games which holds next month in Japan.

It was gathered that the six women and one male lifter at the Abuja camp failed to get qualification slots for the Olympics because they could not garner enough points required to be part of the Olympics and more importantly no Nigeria weightlifter meets up with the number of qualifying international tournament he or she must attend before the Olympics.

Before now each weightlifter is required to attend six qualifying tournaments, but this condition was reduced to four qualifiers by the world governing body of the sport, International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

The only Nigerian who is very close to meeting up with the condition is Nkem Augustina Nwaokolo who have garnered 1863, 9145 points but had not attended at least four qualifiers before the Olympics and there is no way she could attend one between now and the day the Tokyo 2020 will begin.

Interesting, the African qualifying tournament held in Nairobi, Kenya in May where Team Nigeria won 12 gold medals could not safe the weightlifters who were only attending an international tournament after the last All Africa Games which some of them have attended.

The implication of this is that despite winning more gold medals in Kenya, this won’t take then to Japan for the Olympic Games.

It was, however, surprising that the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) advised the Ministry of Sports to camp the seven lifters to prepare them for the Olympics having known that they are going nowhere.

It was gathered that the NWF might have given the excuse that Nigeria might be given some waivers/wildcards by the world governing body of weightlifting before the start of the Olympic Games.

“Which waiver? I don’t think the federation is serious. The camping is just a jamboree to me because we all know the rules. None of our lifters is going to the Olympics, they did not qualify even from the Nairobi tournament we went to in May. The gold medals we won could not take any of them to the Olympics as the rule is cleared that you must have attended at least four qualifiers before the Olympics, before now it was six tournaments required.

“So, when we were told that seven lifters would be camped in Abuja for the Olympics, some of us were surprised that some people within were trying to play smart on the country by saying that Nigeria would have lifters representing her in the Olympics in weightlifting.

“I know that the Sports Minister Sunday Dare may not be aware of this but some people in the Ministry and the federation are in the known,” said a source, who craved for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue.