Six Nigerian weightlifters are training hard in Abuja as they await official confirmation from the National Sports Commission for a pre-Olympic trip to South Korea, according to local media report.
The weightlifters, three men and three women, secured their South Korean visas on Tuesday but are yet to know when they will embark on the trip, which will serve as their final preparations for the Beijing Games next month.
The male lifters are Emmanuel Akpan (56kg), Felix Ekpo (77kg) and Benedict Wuloko (85kg), while the women are Margaret Uwah (58kg), Adiza Zakari (75kg) and Maryam Usman (75kg +).
Two coaches, Cosmos Samson and Emmanuel Oshoni, will accompany the weightlifters on the trip.
Steve Olarinoye, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation said the lifters were not allowing the delay in South Korean trip to distract them.
"They are still confident and much focused and they are prepared to give their best in Beijing," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2008)