President of the athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Dan Ngerem has formally announced the exclusion of female sprint star Endurance Ojokolo from the Commonwealth Games for abusing British Welfare procedures. Ngerem said during a media chat in Lagos that the athlete who may have been evading the Scottland yard Police scuttled attempts made by the federation to know the extent of her problems and ways of assisting her. "I sent two letters to Endurance just to know the magnitude of the problem and perhaps find a way of assisting her, but she did not reply. When I learnt she was in Canada, I made enquiries through the phone with a view of knowing what the problems and if she could do with a lawyer. She promised to get across to me but it was to no avail," Ngerem said. He contended that since the athlete has made up her mind to hide her problems, the federation has no option than to drop her from the Commonwealth team until she clears herself. "The nation's contingent to the Commonwealth Games can't afford any embarrassment from the British Police. If any member of the contingent is arrested for any offence it would be harmful to the nation's image. That is why the AFN took the action but she could be re-invited to the team after clearance from the British police," Ngerem enthused. Ojokolo, twice winner of Nigerian athletic Trials was reported by British Newspaper to have abused her daughter's welfare claims by falsifying the baby's paternity. When the lid blew open, Ojokolo was arrested, interrogated. She was said to have afterwards jumped bail.
Winfried Kramer Kohlrodweg 12 66539 Neunkirchen/Germany Association of Track & Field Statisticians Editor of NATIONAL ATHLETICS RECORDS www.saar.de/~kramer
