Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has earmarked the sum of three hundred and fifteen million naira (315m) for its programmes and activities next year. AFN president, Solomon Ogba, made this known yesterday at a press conference to unveil AFN’s calendar of events in the forthcoming year.?
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?According to him, the amount will take care of local and international programmes and events to be held in 2012. He appealed to the National Assembly to as a matter of importance appropriate the amount to enable them carryout the programmes earmarked for next year. “We need only N315m to executive our programmes and activities in 2012. We are appealing to the National Assembly to appropriate to us this money if they want us to deliver. If not, they should be ready to share in the failure if we do not get this money and fail,” he said.
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He said AFN will kick start the 2012 season after the registration of clubs and athletes with an international Glo Half Marathon in Abuja on February 4, 2012 and it will be followed by IAAF level 111 coaching course in Warri between February 17 and 18. He said the coaching course is open to only ex-Olympians and coaches who have trained and guided athletes to Olympic events.
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He stated that the 2012 London Olympic Games was put into consideration in drawing the AFN 2012 calendar of events in a bid to keep Nigerian athletes busy and in form before the Olympics. He said the current board of AFN under his leadership is committed to competing for the top prize at the international championship. “The new policy of AFN is to compete for laurels at international championships. We don’t want to be seen as participants in any championship. Any event that we cannot make the semi final, there is no point going for such an event. We want to keep our athletes in top form and in drawing our programmes and events for 2012, the London Olympics Games was put into consideration,” he said.?