Nigeria - Ebewele says Algeria removed disabled games to dethrone Nigeria at All Africa Games

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Technical Director of Team Nigeria to the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers, Brown Ebewele, has described as dubious the purported removal of disabled sports from the events to be competed for at the Games in July.

Ebewele fingered the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Algeria as responsible for the act, pointing out that the Algerians were desperate at dethroning Nigeria as defending champions, and would stop at nothing to achieve their ambition.

The Algerian LOC had announced recently that disabled athletes would not be allowed into their country to participate in the African sporting fiesta. The worst hits were powerlifting and table tennis players, games which are Nigeria’s strongest hold.
But the Edo State director of sports, who is also an ex-athlete, said that it’s only the African Sports Confederation of Disabled (ASCOD) Arbitration Court that could determine otherwise and not the Algerian LOC.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Sunsport in Lagos, Juju man, as Ebewele is fondly called, boasted that Nigeria would be the team to beat despite all the antics by Algeria.
"We had a successful trial last week in Ibadan, in which 215 athletes from athletics, table tennis, powerlifting, wheelchair and basketball emerged. And we have started camping immediately.

We wouldn’t want the athletes to lose form, that was why we decided to put them in camp immediately.
"During the trials, there were outstanding performances that were put up by various athletes, two world records were smashed in powerlifting and in discuss.
"No doubt, those performances have given Team Nigeria some hope that our medal haul at the All Africa Games will definitely rise.

"I have no doubt that special sports athletes will deliver Team Nigeria as they did in the Abuja Games in 2003.
"Of course, Algeria has removed powerlifting and table tennis, which constitute Team Nigeria’s powerhouse. But I tell you that that development took me to ASCOD in Cairo, Egypt, where 22 countries signed that Supreme Council for Sports in Africa should prevail on Algeria to restore those sports. The thinking is that since these sports have been in the programmes before now, it makes no sense to remove them from the Games. It would be out of place to replace them with sports that are unpopular to Africans.

"Agreed that the host country can bring in one or two sports that are popular in their place as additional sports to the Games, but since powerlifting and table tennis have been in place, they should remain among the games to feature in the Games.

"We are hoping that ASCOD will prevail on Algeria to put things right," Ebewele went on.
"As for Team Nigeria’s camp, I feel it’s too early to judge since some associations have yet to resume camping.
"Things will stabilise as we progress. I’m quite sure the National Sports Commission (NSC) will send resources to make the camp more conducive for our athletes.
"Of course, special sports athletes will definitely do Nigeria proud; let’s wait and see," Ebewele submitted.