Sports Briefs
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PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved funds to enable the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to make travel arrangements ahead of the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Ndola on Sunday, October 9.
Solomon Dalong, minister of Sports and Youth Development, disclosed the information in Abuja on Thursday, October 6, in response to questions by reporters at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Dalung said: “Each time we are preparing for competitions, either nationally or internationally, things (news of paucity of funds) like this usually come up and they would always fizzle out.
“We are prepared for the match against Zambia. I will be travelling along with the team to give them moral and physical support.”
The minister said further: “One thing Nigerians would need to know more is that, in competitions like this, some of the players are coming from outside and there are of course international obligations relating to some of the allowances, bonuses, money you need to pay for their tickets, insurance before they come. These issues have been sorted out completely.
“Yes, we are facing economic challenges, but the president has been quite supportive. On Sunday, I could not go to church, I had to draft a memo, which was taken to the president on Sunday and he approved it — for funds to be provided for the team to travel. That is how serious this government takes sports.”
— Oct 17, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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