All seems not to be well with the Imo state contingent to this years National Sports Festival NSF, Abuja as some of the athletes and coaches were grudging over what they termed as poor treatment.
Trumpeta sports desk gathered that the state government may have released funds short of the council’s projection for the competition but this paper also reliably gathered that the athletes and the coaches as well as the Secretaries accused the council management of short changing them especially denying them their Duty Tour Allowance DTS, with the pretence that government didn’t release enough fund.
Some of the athletes and coaches who spoke in anonymity complained that apart from dropping some athletes who have been in camp training and preparing for the games with their personal funds at the last minute while some sports associations who are not even recognized by the International Olympic Committee were allowed to travel with about 8 athletes as others were drastically reduced.
The contingent who left Owerri late on Thursday, 24 hours after the events commenced at Abuja staged a mild protest over the poor treatment, denial of some athletes and sports associations from traveling for the games may not be in the best of psych following the unnecessary delay and suspense surrounding their movement.
A source very close to the management who also spoke in anonymity alleged that the head of coaching, Mr Matu(Deputy Director coaching) gave allocations for athletes that traveled favoured his sports and that of those he is in good terms with to the detriment of of the state possibility of winning medals at the games.
He further revealed that the decision didn’t go down well with the athletes who he said refused to embark on the journey until their welfare is taken care of.
In a related development, members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN, imo state chapter made attempt to verify the allegations, some management members reacted that they were having a meeting as the sports writers body were not even accommodated in the contingent as the tradition has always been in the past.
