Taiwo Kasunmu, Vice-President, Para Athletics Federation of Nigeria (PAFN), on Thursday said that the Para athletes might miss the World Para Grand Prix Athletics Championship in France due to lack of funds.
Kasunmu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Para athletes presently preparing for the world contest had been left without help either from the government or private organisations.
“We are preparing for the World Grand Prix Athletics Championship to qualify for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan among the championships, we need to go for the France Grand Prix which is coming up in September, but we were unable to get funds.
“Four of the athletes that went to Tunisia all qualified, the next Paralympic Games we will be having about 169 Games to showcase that cuts across all forms of disability and Nigeria can do well in most of these events.
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“Due to lack of funds, by the time the African Games for Para-athletes comes up in January in Morocco next year, instead of having enough athletes to go, we will be going with less athletes which is not good,’’ he said.
Kasunmu urged the new Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, to see to the plight of Para sports and how they could be well funded for optimal performances.
“My advice to the new minister is to try and see how Para sports can be well funded because in the last Olympic Games, able-bodied persons were unable to do up to what the Para athletes did by wining more medals for the country.
“The Para athletes went to the Paralympics and came back with more medals, but for now, Para sports are being treated as second fiddle of which it shouldn’t be.
“We are normal humans except for a little defect, we all have families, so, if we are able to showcase what our ability in disability is, it will make Nigeria proud.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")