By Kate Obodo

Athletics coach Tobias Igwe (a.k.a. Toblow) has declared that the National Sports Commission, NSC should have no problem supporting the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s programme for the 2012 season.

AFN president, Solomon Ogba said in Abuja recently that the nation’s athletics ruling body would need about N315 million to drive its programmes towards a successful outing at the Olympics. Toblow argued that it was a small amount of money compared to what other serious nations spend on developing their athletics yearly.

“How much is N315m this just under $2m. It is not too much, Nigeria can afford it five times over. Also there are many Nigerians in a high positions who spend more than that.

“My advise for the Federal Government and NSC is that they should provide the money for the AFN, to prosecute its progammes for the Olympics and other events on its calendar before time. I believe part of the money will go for training tour, equipment and for good accommodation. So many things the money can do for us ahead the Olympics, so it is not too much,”

He argued that Nigeria was planing to fail at the London 2012 Olympics if they don’t get their acts together even as other countries have gone far in their preparations.

“Our preparations are lagging behind. You can’t prepare an athlete without funds. We are simply working to get poor results, because by now, we are supposed to have started preparations, though individually the athletes have started but we are supposed to be in camp and be monitored by some good coaches. You can’t get good results if these things are not coming.

“As a nation of 150m people we have to do better than coming home with a bronze or two at the Olympics,” he said .