How Ondo govt neglected, turned athletes to beggars to attend competitions

Facts have emerged on how the Ondo State female basketball team, Sunshine Angels could not access funds to attend one of the important leagues of the Basketball Season – Zenith Women Premier League, Phase 2, Atlantic Conference.

The league is holding from September 21 to September 29 at the Indoor Sports Hall of Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, Enugu.

Thefrontrank reports that days after the competition had started, the Sunshine Angels were stranded and could not attend their first match due lack fund, even as the fund was requested for early enough.

The competition currently ongoing in Enugu had Sunshine Angels being walked over First Deep Water Basketball team 20-0 following the inability of the team from the Sunshine State to participate in the match due lack of funds.

It took the intervention of a stakeholder to help shift the second match from the scheduled date for the team leaders to rally round and source for funds for the girls to be in Enugu on September 23 and played their first match on September 24 after being walked over.

The first (which is supposed to be their second) match which was played against a well motivated Bayelsa Whales ended 31-37 in favour of the Whales.

It also took the intervention of Basketball lovers and former players that had passed through the state team to get help for the girls to attend the competition in Enugu and to also help retain the premier status of the state in the basketball competition.

One of the players who spoke to the Thefrontrank said the situation compelled the team and some of the girls to go cap-in-hand for funds from some stakeholders and friends before they could make appearance in the league after missing the first game.

“We had to beg and raise money on our own because of our career. If we don’t participate in tournaments, how can we grow and our career is on the line.

“In most cases, we borrowed money to attend competitions and the refunds will not come for months.

“As a matter of facts, athletes in Ondo State are currently going through the worst time in their career. The attitude of this current administration in Ondo State on sports development is zero,” the player disclosed.

Stakeholders have however expressed concerns on the level of neglect of sports in the state under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, especially in the areas of infrastructure and welfare of athletes, as well as releasing funds for associations to attend competitions.

They blamed the problems facing sports in the state primarily on the ineptitude of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, and the “delays in attending to files taking to his office for approvals” for programmes and competitions.

They also accused the commissioner of always attending to request after competitions had ended, which they felt was negligence of his primary duties.

Efforts by Thefrontrank to speak to the commissioner were unsuccessful as his telephone line was not connecting.