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| Olukayode Thomas ,Nigeria Athletics spokesman |
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Cross River All Nigeria Athletics
Championship, which also serve as Team Nigeria track and field athletes’ trial to
major games and championships may not hold this year Athletics body in Nigeria has declared.
The 2015
edition of the championship, which is the 69th in the series, is to serve as trial
for the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships and Brazzaville 2015 All Africa
Games, but sponsor of the championship, Cross River State Government is yet to
meet its financial commitment to the Nigeria Athletic body less than two weeks to the commencement of the championship.
Spokesman of the Athletics body in Nigeria ,Olukayode Thomas said "The state government
signed a five years deal with AFN, they have been faithful in the last four
editions, but doubts still surround this years edition which is the last ".
According to
AFN calendar, the championship is to begin July 30 and end August 1.
Olukayode
Thomas, who is also a board member of AFN revealed that the Federation has contacted
the state government on many occasions without getting a positive response.
“Last week,
we sent a board member to the state capital Calabar, they promised to give us a definite answer
by July 15, 2015, when we contacted them on the agreed date, they still wore an
evasive posture on the readiness of the state to meet its contractual obligation’’.
Thomas appealed
to the state government to see off the contract which has one more year left as legally agreed. “Even if they do not
want to renew the contract, let them honour the five years deal they signed
with us"
" Failure of Cross River State to
honour this agreement will not only affect our preparation for the World
Championships and the All Africa Games, it will also affect the career of many
athletes, we therefore appeal to the government to tow the path of honour’’ Thomas concluded.
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