BY MONICA IHEAKAM (LAGOS) AND ROMANUS UGWU (ABUJA) 

AHEAD of the Rio 2016 Olympic games, Nigeria U-23 head Coach, Samson Siasia has read the riot act to clubs to desist from pulling the players away from camp to execute their midweek matches.

Siasia’s warning came, just as the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) announced that the D’Tigers will camp in Los Angeles ahead of the Olympics.

Siasia who issued the players warning after the Dream Team’s Tuesday training in Abuja, decried the incessant interruption from club officials demanding for players to be released for league engagements and called for the understanding of Club officials

The Olympic silver winning coach lamented that barely three months to the commencement of the Rio 2016 olympic games, he is yet to kick off his real preparations , insisting that national interest supersedes club interest.

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He warned that from Monday May 9, no player would be released from camp , adding that any player that honors league matches should forget being part of his Olympic team.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) yesterday disclosed that the D’Tigers will camp  in Los Angeles in preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The president of the basketball federation, Tijani Umar, while assuring that funds wont be a problem stated:

“We have had a detailed meeting with the minister and he has assured of adequate and prompt release of funds for the camping once the budget is signed into law.

“This is an Olympics training camp and I know that there is money approved for all the federations that have qualified for the Olympics. So, I believe that funding for the camping exercise will not pose any problem.”