The NPC has estimated that the country can win 16 gold medals in London but, with some of their competitors unable to attend qualification tournaments, their hopes are in jeopardy.

"We have seven athletes in track and field, eight in powerlifting and four in table tennis who are gold medal potentials," said Thorpe.

"But we need to prepare these athletes for the London Games by attending qualification tournaments."

Thorpe blamed Nigeria's problems on a lack of funding and support to get their medal contenders to take part in key tournaments.

"As we are talking there is one in Surrey, England we have pencilled down.

"We were supposed to have made some payments, but we haven't and this is not good for our participation at the Paralympic Games.

"There are trials to be done for the athletes, we have to camp them and run competitions.

"But there is nothing we can do for now since we have not received any funding from the national sports commission."

Nigeria's first participation in the Paralympics came in 1992, and they claimed four gold medals and four silver medals at the last Games in Beijing 2008.

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