Athletes from Team IMO have threatened to quit the 19th National Sports Festival taking place in Abuja if their allowances are not paid by the end of Tuesday.
The athletes, who stormed National SWAN office at the Package A of the Abuja National Stadium, to protest the shoddy treatment meted to them by the Imo state sports council, noted that since they left Owerri, the Imo state capital, last week Thursday for the Festival, they have only received N1,000 from the state officials.
They said they were promised N15,000 as allowances for the Festival by their state government but they have not received the money, adding that though they were given meal ticket, they have only used it thrice since the Festival opened as those vending the food are often nowhere to be found during meal hours.
Representative of the team, Uchenna Amaichi lamented that the athletes were already stranded and ready to quit if nothing was done to improve their flagging welfare.
When contacted, Imo state commissioner for sports, Mr Robertson Ifedili explained that everything needed for the welfare of the state athletes had been handed over to the director of sports for onwards transfer to the sportsmen and women.
Imo state Director of Sports, Chizortam Aritola admitted that the athletes have not been paid, while adding that all the anormalies would be corrected today (Tuesday).
Team Imo is currently standing in 18 position on the log table with one bronze medal.
