The Sun News On-line

Ahaze of uncertainty is blowing round Nigeria’s participation in the Summer Olympic Games.
Poor preparations and insurfficient funding may affect athletes’ morale towards the Games.

National Sports Commission (NSC) has yet to receive funding for the Olympics, three moths to the Games. Weightlifters left for South Africa on Tuesday without money for their final qualifiers. They were only given flight tickets, which were even bought on credit.

Siasia’s team are still battling to pay for their training camp accommodation in Portugal as they missed deadline to pay on Wednesday. They were making calls to Melgaco Training Centre, Portugal to extend the deadline given NFA to pay. They do not have money for him.

Track and Field athletes are yet to move into camping because of lack of funds. They went to Ethiopia for the African Athletics Championship without a day in camping. The athletes reported to the airport from their various homes.
NSC top shots say they are still expecting money to finance training preparations, but that time has run out.

Nigeria has a history of funding teams to international championships late. The team to the last All Africa Games in Algiers got money for the Games one week before the opening day. They also got money for the last Olympics in Athens few days to the opening day.
“We are in trouble. We will go to Beijing without adequate preparation if we will have any at all," one association scribe said.