BY MONICA IHEAKAM
The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja denied Olympic hopeful, Blessing Onyebuchi (75kg ) and her Coach Victor Kodei visa to participate at the second World Olympic Games qualification tournament king place at the Bagcilar Sports Complex in Istanbul.
Despite meeting all the criteria as laid down , the Embassy failed to grant visa to Onyebuchi and her coach, to ttend the event billed for 6-8 May 2015, a situation that has truncated the dream of the 2015 All Africa Games silver medalist’s participation at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The tournament in Istanbul this weekend has 36 slots up for grabs and offers the last chance for wrestlers all over the world to secure a berth at the summer games in Brazil.
Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) President, Daniel Igali described the action of the Turkish Embassy as a
humiliating and wicked act that has snuffed out the aspirations of a hard working athlete to represent her country at the world’s biggest sporting event.