‘Commonwealth Games’ team selection based on performance’
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has dismissed allegations of exclusion, marginalisation and gender inequality leveled against it by parliamentarian Ayo Omidiran. The House Committee on Sports member accused the sports ministry of excluding veteran tennis players Funke Oshonaike and Offiong Edem from Games bound team.
Reacting to the allegation, the ministry said its decision to select athletes for the games was based on performance and comparative advantage and not based on qualification as alleged by Omidiran because there were no trials.
The Director, Federation of Elite Athletes Department Mrs Tayo Oreweme, in a statement, said the national sports federations nominated athletes for the games and not the ministry.
“Four slots were allocated to table tennis the Commonwealth based on their performance in the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where they went with five male and five female players and came back with only one bronze in the team events.
“The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) chose who will represent the country. They chose 4 male players based on their current performance. Entries were based on what the federations wanted. They wanted a complete male team of 5 players and we had to do elimination by substitution thereby dropping one from athletics to complete a full table tennis squad,” Oreweme said.