Unpaid allowances: Team Nigeria athletes grumble

Athletes representing Nigeria at the 21st Commonwealth Games holding in Gold Coast, Australia are poised for a showdown with the sports ministry over unpaid allowances.

At the beginning of the Games, sports minister, Solomon Dalung had promised to reward any athlete that wins gold with the sum of five thousand dollars.

But some of the athletes are insisting on getting their allowances before Team Nigeria leaves Australia for Nigeria.

The athletes told SportingLife.ng on condition of anonymity that they were tired of promises of getting their money which has not been fulfilled.

Few days ago, the athletes would have embarked on an embarrassing strike action to press home their demands before the minister got wind of the move and threatened to deal with anybody trying to cause disaffection in the camp of Team Nigeria.

SportingLife.ng gathered that a director in the Sports ministry was asked to leave the Games Village on the orders of the minister.

The director was accused of inciting crisis in camp when he told the home based athletes that their foreign based
counterparts will be paid their training grants before they leave Australia.