By Ime Bassey

Despite the removal of weightlifting from the All Africa Games billed for Maputo, Mozambique in August this year, Nigerian Weightlifting Federation, NWF, will move its athletes to camp first week of June for preparation ahead of other competitions lined up for the year.

Disclosing this to Saturday Vanguard Sports, President of the Federation, Chimdi Ejiogu, said the athletes are expected to be in shape in advance for the London 2012 Olympics.

“The weightlifters will move into camp first week of June for all other competitions which were postponed, like the African junior/senior Championships which was billed for April 7-14 of last month in Kampala, Uganda

“We want to keep the athletes in shape as our main goal is the Olympics in London next year. There are other tournaments which will still hold, so we desire the lifters to prepare well in camp and use these tournaments to give themselves the complete test for the Olympics,” he said.

He expressed his displeasure over the removal of weightlifting from the list of events in the continental showpiece, adding that “It is very sad for us knowing that we have been preparing hard and knowing it’s one of the country’s strength at the games.” It will be recalled that weightlifting and wrestling were both removed from the list of sports to be competed for at this year’s All Africa Games in Maputo on facility and technical grounds.