Sports Minister sends two U-23 players, officials packing from Rio 2016 games

Nigeria's Sports minister Solomon Dalung has sent two players and three officials  of the national U-23 team packing from the ongoing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil back to Nigeria.

Reports has it that the two alternate players Stanley Dimgba and goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed alongside the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, curator and the team coordinator were sent home from the games on Monday night.

“We said they should send them back home if they could not take care of them (players and officials,” Nigeria Football Federation spokesman affirms.

From all indications the Buhari-led government is out to cut costs and seems to have no room for any leakages. I guess the change is staring in our faces even in our National sports as Dalung had bitterly complained of the huge financial burden of taking care of the extra players and officials after the players were prevented from leaving the hotel over the unpaid bills of eight of their unaccredited players and officials.

Dalung declared that 84 players and four officials – unofficially accredited persons had been with the team since they left Atlanta for Brazil.

“The organisers of the Games, the International Olympic Committee, are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation. We have been carrying the rest along. In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra four players making 29,” Dalung added.