The Federal Ministry of Sports Development have declared that team Nigeria’s para athletes will not participate at the 2023 Africa Para Games in Ghana due to paucity of funds, www.aclsports.com gathered.
The maiden edition African Paralympic Games is scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana from 3rd to 12th September 2023.
The hopes of Nigeria para athletes qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have been extinguished. Nigeria registered for Amputee Athletics, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis.
www.aclsports.com gathered that some para-athletes met with the sports minister, John Enoh at the National Stadium in Lagos where he promised that the nation will be represented at the Para Games.
Fatima Yusuf, a wheelchair tennis player, told www.aclsports.com that her teammates have wasted 8 months of their lives training for the Africa Para Games.
Yusuf said the dreams of her teammates featuring at the Paralympic Games in Paris have been cut short.
She said, “I am not happy some of my teammates will not be attending the 2023 Africa Para Games in Ghana. Nigeria has succeeded in wasting the time and resources of these players; most of us are not on the payroll of the sports commission/council. Our source of incoming majorly comes from attending National and International Championships.
“Foluke Shittu is currently the highest ranked player in Africa (Wheelchair Tennis); this means she will not be able to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Paris next year despite dumping France for Nigeria”.
Amputee Football player, Johnshon Fabunmi said Nigeria has always disappointed the para athletes despite winning laurels for the country.
Fabunmi said, “Nigeria has a way of humiliating athletes who have brought glory to the nation. Nigeria para athletes have won more medals in the Africa, Commonwealth and Olympic Games than the able bodies sports but what do we get in return; humiliation and rejection.
“A time will come when the para athletes will no longer receive these insults we are receiving from the sports authorities”, he added.
The President of International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons is expected to be in Ghana today before the commencement of the first ever African Paralympic Games in Accra.
