AFN drops 3 from London Olympics 'American coach affected

THE Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has dropped three athletes from Nigeria's team to the London 2012 Olympics.President of the AFN, Chief Solomon Ogba said yesterday that the decision to drop the athletes followed the final analysis of their chances for medal at the Games.The affected athletes have been duly informed without mentioning who the trio are.Also yesterday, the AFN announced the dropping of one of the track and field coaches, American Garfield Ellenwood, from Nigeria's delegation to the Olympics scheduled to begin on July 27.Technical Officer of the AFN, Yusuf Alli, said in Lagos yesterday that the American who is a personal coach of 2012 African Championships 200m winner, Gloria Asumnu, was dropped following confirmation that Ellenwood previously served a ban for dope related offence.'The American coach, (Ellenwood), has been confirmed by the federation to have recently been cleared after serving a ban for complicity in a dope related offence.For this, we cannot allow him to be part of our team to the Olympic,' Alli stated.The former Team Nigeria captain insisted that Ellenwood was not contracted by the AFN to be part of the country's team to the Olympics. 'The American is a personal coach of Gloria Asumnu, just the same way we allowed some of our top athletes to also come to camp with their coaches as it is a universal practice. That was why they were listed as part of the country's team to the Olympic.'While correcting widspread impression that the AFN was condoning people with questionable backgrounds in the track and field squad to the Olympic, Alli whose national long jump record of 8.27m remains unbeaten in over two decades, stressed that such insinuations were totally misleading.
Click here to read full news..