Commonwealth Games Fallout: Home based athletes set for showdown over unpaid grants
Athletes who represented Nigeria at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia could be heading for a showdown with the National Sports Commission (NSC) over unpaid training grants.
Home based athletes, who represented Nigeria at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia could be heading for a showdown with the National Sports Commission (NSC) over unpaid training grants.
It was gathered that the athletes were not paid their training grants before they departed Australia.
The development, has not gone down well with the athletes who were further angered by the fact that their foreign colleagues were each paid $8,000.
“We are waiting to see what will happen. I cannot tell you if the ministry will succumb to their threats and pay them in Nigeria or call their bluff,” an insider said. Our source further revealed that a top official of the commission told the athletes that their grants were used for their camping in Nigeria. He could, however not say how much each athlete is entitled to.
It would be recalled that during the games, a director was accused of instigating the athletes after hinting them of the commission’s decision to only pay the foreign based athletes.
According to reports, the director was ordered to leave the Games Village by the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung.