Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The 19 edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF), on Sunday came to an end at the Abuja National Stadium with Delta State finishing top of the table with an unprecedented 342 medals relegating the likes of Rivers, Edo and Lagos to the first, second runners-up and fourth positions respectively.
While the table topping Delta raked in 159 gold, 84 silver, 99 bronze medals, Rivers state won 66 gold, 54 silver, 65 bronze to take the their total medal hauls to 185, second runners, Edo won 47 gold, 49 silver and 51 silver medals totalling their medals to 138.
In his closing remarks, the FCT Minister represented by the Permanent Secretary, Chunyeaka Oha, admitted that the ministry encountered financial hitches in organising the festival, commending the participants for a job well done.
“It took us record time of nine months of preparation to organise this despite the financial hitches we encountered. We encourage the Sports Ministry to ensure the maximum usage of the athletes discovered in this festival.
I want to commend the sportsmanship of the participants and spectators,” he said.
Meanwhile, Athletes from the Federal Capita Territory (FCT) yesterday protested on myriad of ill-treatment melted on them by the authorities at the just ended festival, including non-payment of their allowances.
Among the ill-treatments the athletes suffered, include provision of substandard accommodation at their Old Parade ground in Abuja, lack of food, and poor hygienic environment, which exposed them to various illness.
Narrating their ordeal, a bronze medallist in Boxing event, Solomon Chibuike, lamented that the non-payment of their allowances in addition to poor treatment meted out to them at the sporting fiesta.
“It is bad and callous on part of the FCT administrators to treat us this way, we were not paid our camping allowances, not well fed and abandoned. I came from Lagos and they said they want to pay us N15, 000 how can one cope with that after receiving heavy punches from opponents.”
Reacting to the incident, the Director of Sports FCT, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, said their money is still intact, promising to look into their grievances.