Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Israel Inwang, has refuted claims of bias by the Elite Development and Podium Board, created by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to independently select elite athletes to enjoy a $20,000 training grant.
The NSC in its pursuit of fortifying Team Nigeria for the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA, had provided $20,000 as training grants to elite athletes.
A total of 78 athletes from prominent sporting federations received the grants, 38 of whom are from track and field events.
However, the selection process has triggered a backlash from stakeholders, who claimed that the Elite Development and Podium Board, led by Yusuf Ali, selected athletes to receive the grants without notifying representatives from the various sports federations.
They further claimed that the number of track and field athletes eligible for the training grants is severely less than 20 (both domestically and internationally), indicating that the Elite Development and Podium Board may be engaging in questionable practices regarding the count of athletes recognized.
“Nigeria lacks 38 professional elite athletes who could take advantage of the training grants. The committee led by Yusuf Ali does not represent the AFN.
“He cannot select elite athletes without coordinating with the federation. I don’t believe we even have 10 top-ranked athletes deserving of the elite designation,” remarked one stakeholder.
in defence, Inwang insisted that the board adhered to the appropriate procedures to select the benefiting athletes.
Yusuf Ali also responded to the claims, stating: “Only a masochist would find fault in what we have accomplished thus far. To begin with, the AFN and other sports federations operate under the NSC.
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“As the leader of the Elite Development and Podium Board, my initial action in selecting top athletes involved assessing their performance, the events they had entered, and their ages.
“After that, I consulted with the technical directors and prominent coaches from the AFN, weightlifting, and other sporting federations.
“During this evaluation, I found that certain athletes recommended by the coaches would not contribute positively to Nigeria’s success.
“For example, one technical director from a specific sports federation suggested an athlete who is already 34 years of age.
“When the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics arrive, that athlete will be 38 years old.
“Additionally, I noticed another athlete who has not participated in a significant competition over the past two or three years. We need to remove these individuals from our selection.
“The elite athletes receiving support from the NSC training grants are categorized into different tiers. Some are classified as Category A, others as Category B, and some fall under Category C.
“As we discuss, the NSC has commenced the distribution of training funds to the athletes, who are thrilled since this is the inaugural instance they are receiving such a substantial sum from the nation to address various needs.
“There is no need to delay the allocation of training grants for athletes until competition periods.
“Despite our positive intentions, I recognize that there will be individuals aiming to hinder the process; however, the NSC leadership will ignore them because those individuals do not have the country’s best interests at heart.”
