The country has failed to participate in the ongoing 2017 Deaflympic
Games in Samsun, Turkey, due to the Turkish Embassy’s refusal to
issue visas to the national deaf football team.
The 2017 Summer Deaflympics, officially called the 23rd Summer
Deaflympics, is an international multi-sport event that began
on July 18 and will end on July 30 with athletes from 97 countries
competing in 21 sports.
The team’s Coach, Banjo Kamiludeen, told newsmen on Saturday
in Lagos that efforts to get visas for the team proved abortive.
“Honestly, the whole thing is very disheartening; we did everything
possible but the embassy denied the team visas to participate in the
Deaflympics.
“The Federal Ministries of Sports, Internal and External Affairs were
involved in the whole process but to no avail; the World Deaf Football
body wrote to the embassy but nothing happened.
“As I speak, the embassy didn’t give us any cogent reason why we
were denied visas to the competition,’’ he said.
Kamiludeen added that participating in the Games would have been life
changing for the deaf players and urged the government to take
measures to address such issues.
“Many of the players are in a very bad state of mind now, they have
prepared their body and mind for the Games only to get a negative news.
“We got sponsorship from “Bet9ja’’, a gaming outfit, to attend the event
but it is sad everything ended this way.
“I appeal to Federal Government to summon the Turkish Ambassador to
give reasons why the team was denied visas,
’’ he said. The national deaf team had its first outing at the 2013 Deaflympics
in Sofia, Bulgaria, and crashed out in the group stage.
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