Stranded U-23 team depart for Brazil

The national U-23 team left Atlanta after about four weeks of training tour in preparation for the 31st Olympiad which opens on Friday in Rio, Brazil after two cancellations of travelling arrangements.

The players and officials repeatedly cried out from their camp base over their poor welfare condition following the neglect by the authorities.

The players and officials left Atlanta Tuesday afternoon (evening time Nigeria) after strings of frustrations ranging from non-payment of allowances of players to non-payment of salaries of coaches.

Travelling arrangements for the team in the past three days have also been awful as the coaches and administrative staff members of the team were in the dark over the arrangements.

The team under the tutelage of Coach Samson Siasia was billed to initially leave the United States on Sunday but poor arrangement

As at Tuesday morning, Siasia told said on a radio programme monitored in Lagos that, “We are not sure of when we are travelling until we see the tickets.”

A member of the team however confirmed to our correspondent on Tuesday at 7pm Nigeria time that the tea was on the way to the airport. He added that it was a chattered arrangement that eventually saved the situation. The team is expected to arrive Brazil today.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now