The Delta State Sports Commission has denied allegation of a protest by its athletes over poor condition in their camp.
The Chairman of the Commission, Tonobok Okowa, described the online report as callous and wicked.
“In Delta, our major priority is the welfare of the athletes and their officials.
“It is laughable to read such online report that we shortchanged our athletes. I see such report as a calculated attempt to distract Team Delta from retaining its title at the end of this National Youth Games.”
Also speaking on the issue, the head coach of Team Delta, Seigha Porbeni said: “I can say it authoritatively that Okowa won’t touch funds meant for athletes. He is looking forward to winning the games on home soil like we did last year during the National Sports Festival.
“Again, the athletes we have in our camp are 15 years and below, and not between 10 and 20 years as claimed by the online report. Some people are just looking for a way to distract us by sponsoring all sorts of stories to paint Chief Tonobok Okowa and Team Delta in bad light,” Porbeni stated.
Sahara Reporters had earlier reported that some athletes at the National Youth Games (NYG) protested against what they termed “poor feeding conditions, poor water and electricity supply as well as unhygienic environment” in their camp in Delta State.
According to the news outlet, they monitored the various camps where the state athletes are camped in Asaba, the state capital and observed that poor supply of electricity, water and poor feeding are major problems been faced by the athletes despite huge resources said to have been released by the state government running into several millions of naira.
Speaking with Sahara Reporters Tuesday at the sports commission hostel, St Brigid’s Road, Asaba, where some of the state athletes are camped, some of the athletes lamented the poor quality of food they are being fed with since their arrival last week.
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