Lack of infrastructure and effective training has been blamed for Nigeria’s inability to participate in the ongoing Online Para-powerlifting World Cup, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

Technical Director of the Nigerian Para-powerlifting Federation, Joy Mayaki, says the inability of athletes to train is the reason the country didn’t participate at the World Para-powerlifting Online World Cup, which took place on Monday via Facebook.

The Online World Cup is the first Paralympics competition created during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a bid to keep athletes active and motivated at home and also to celebrate a year before the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

A total of 54 athletes from 21 countries submitted videos to participate in the competition, with Benin, Cape Verde, Egypt, Lithuania and Spain making their debuts.

“The countries taking part in the competition have the facilities at home but our athletes do not and the only place they could train is at the stadium, which has been locked since March due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Mayaki told The PUNCH.

“I can’t let my athletes just send in videos without proper training because of the country’s pedigree in the sport, we just can’t go there to embarrass ourselves.”

The Online World Cup started in April.