Olympic trainings with only 5 bucks a day

The Moldovan Canoe-Kayak Federation (CKF) received only MDL 500 thousand for 2006 from the Government, of MDL 1 mln requested. The funds were solicited to cover the expenses related to training sportsmen participating in 5 international competitions. Under these circumstances Moldovans will afford to attend only three of them, Iacob Buhna, CKF chairman told reporters. Thus, funds will be sufficient to cater the sportsmen with only MDL 60 per day (roughly USD 5). The statement was made during a news conference on the canoe team’s arriving from the European Championship, Schinias, Greece, resulting in two gold and one bronze medal for the Moldovan representatives. The team, which has good chances to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, lacks appropriate sports gear and outfit, not even to show up for the awarding ceremonies. The team, awarded with gold in 500 and 1000 meters events, was composed of Denis Sergheev, Vasile Pogreban, Vitalie Iuricenco, Dumitru Subotin. It ranked in top 10 of 2005 Moldovan teams.