The Federal Government has debunked speculations that it directed foreign-based athletes representing Nigeria at the August 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, through a statement issued by his media aide, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, said there was no iota of truth in the rumour.
Dalung said the purported mail directing foreign-based athletes going to the Olympic Games in Rio to buy their own air tickets never came from him or his ministry.
He pointed out that the Director, High Performance Angie Taylor, has been saddled with the responsibility of arranging for the flights and movement of the foreign based athletes to and from Rio.
“We did not write any mail asking athletes to pay their way to Rio. As the overseers of sports in the country, it is our duty to take care of all our athletes.
“The letter did not come from us and we will investigate the writer of that letter. It does not represent our stand concerning the movement of athletes to Rio and the writer or anybody asking athletes to buy their tickets to Rio will be investigated,” the Minister was quoted to have said in the statement.
Dalung therefore urged “Nigerians and athletes in particular to disregard the mail.”
He however regretted the embarrassment caused by the letter and asked athletes to remain focused on their build-up to the Rio games.
