President of Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF), Ruel Ishaku has explained the inability of Tokyo Paralympic-bound lifters uneasiness to accessing training equipment at the Power Gymnasium, located at the National Stadium, Lagos which had stunted lifters’ preparations for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)-organised Summer Paralympic Games.
He allayed that the lockdown caused by COVID-19 with strict rule of lockdown leading to the closure of the stadium has also restriction athletes from their usual training venue.
“The lockdown and closure of the National Stadium, Lagos, where we have standard equipment in the Power Gymnasium is seriously affecting our programmes, particularly in preparations for the upcoming games, We need to make the best of the postponement, given the fact that the tournament-bound lifters need regular training with the equipment on ground to be in form,” he posited.
“It will do us a lot of good, if the government can have a rethink about the stadium, probably roll out schedule to equally guide us in putting up a training roaster.
“This effort will go a long way in encouraging the lifters, get them back to form and also sharpen their skills, using the universal equipment at the gymnasium,” the NPPF boss said.
He said that most of the paralympics-bound athletes, resident in Lagos, were only engaging in skeletal training, which would not bring out the best in them as most lifters in foreign countries have sustained training with their personal equipment and engaged in online competitions as the videos of the competitions were being sent to IPC certified officials for their rating.
The game initially billed for August, have been rescheduled to take place from Aug. 8 to Sept. 5, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
