Why we dissolved coaches, referees association – NWF boss

By Ime Bassey
The President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Chimdi Ejiogu has advanced reasons why the federation dissolved  its coaches and referees associations over the week.

In a telephone interview with Saturday Vanguard Sports from Abuja, Ejiogu said that the technical department of the federation has just one internationally recognised referee, making its international operations slow despite its present record.

“These actions are in the instants of the members of  both associations. For the referees association, they requested  to have a co-ordinator after the death of  their chairman, Dr Lai Fatokun. This move will strengthen and help them conduct elections into the various offices.

“I am particular about  the referees association because we as a federation  have just one in the African council while countries like South Africa has almost 100. It doesn’t paint us well as a federation of international repute which we are in terms of rating.

“We want to reposition both associations in order for them to rub shoulders with the best in the world. For most of the coaches, their licences are obsolete and their present knowledge of the sports is low. This is why we want to restructure them and prepare them for the Commonwealth coaches’ workshop in the country that will take place before the Olympics,” Ejiogu said.

It will be recalled that the federation in a release over the week dissolved the coaches and referees associations and set up a 3-man care-taker committee to restructure them  before the elections.

Members of the coaches committee include Christopher Nwadie (coordinator), Tina Omoghai (member) and Reginald Briggs (secretary), while members of the referees committee include Mr Paul Adokuru (coordinator), Mrs. Helen Idahosa-Asamota (member) and Patrick Bassey (secretary).