THERE is still uncertainty over the participation of
Blessing Onyebuchi at the 2016 World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament
2 scheduled to hold between 6–8 May 2016
in Istanbul, Turkey.
This follows the inability of the Nigeria Wrestling
Federation (NWF) to secure necessary funding from the National Sports Commission
(NSC) for her trip.
The Istanbul event is the final qualification tournament
for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Competitors of this tournament failed
to qualify for the Olympics through performance at the 2015 World Wrestling
Championships at their respective regional qualifier.
Seven wrestlers have already secured slots for the Rio
Games and the opportunity of the NWF to add another one is in serious doubt
following the paucity of funds.
“We don’t know if Onyebuchi will travel as I am talking
to you. The president of the federation, Daniel Igali is right now in Abuja to
see the Honourable Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung. Everything has been put
in place but we are waiting for the approval from the ministry,” a source in
the wrestling federation told SportingLife Tuesday evening.
“Onyebuchi is ready to do the country proud but this kind
of uncertainty will make it difficult for her to achieve her aim. She is
supposed to travel tomorrow (Wednesday) and do her weigh-in on Thursday in
Istanbul. She has put everything into preparations; you know she has been in
camp in Bayelsa for some weeks now. All the same she is a strong athlete and I
believe she will be able to secure her Olympic ticket at the final qualifying
tournament if she eventually makes the trip,” the source who do not want his
name in print said.
Recalled that Blessing Onyebuchi FW 75kg and Melvin Bibo
FS 74kg, who won bronze at the Africa /Oceania Olympic qualifier in Algiers,
Algeria are supposed to try their luck again at this last qualifier in Turkey.
But after consultations, the federation decided that only Onyebuchi should
travel with a coach to Istanbul.
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