BY Remi Sulola
Team Nigeria took delivery of their much-awaited kits after most of the athletes had concluded their events, some even back to their bases already.
The kit came in on Thursday, just three days before the August 21 end of the games.
A top official of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) confirmed the arrival of the kits but said they would no longer serve any purpose. He added that most of the athletes had left after concluding their events.
“I have never experienced this in all my years in sports,” he said.
“Money meant for the Games was held tightly by ministry officials and they were just releasing money piecemeal. We had to buy kits on our own while some athletes competed in their personal kits.”
Team Nigeria dressed in their tracksuits for the opening ceremony, as the sports ministry claimed the official attire that was showcased before President Muhammadu Buhari during the sendoff ceremony in Abuja failed to arrive on time for the ceremony.
Rather than apologise for the embarrassing parade, Solomon Dalung, minister for sports and youth development, pointed out that South Africa also wore track suits.
Dalung, though, apologised to the Dream Team for the woeful preparations that saw the Under-23 team arrive Manaus less than seven hours before the opening game against Japan.
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