Bauchi State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development has dropped additional 45 athletes from the initial 212 member-contingent of the state for the ongoing national youth games taking place in Asaba, Delta State.
The Overseeing Director of the State’s Sports Council, Ahmad Kawu Aliyu made the disclosure while addressing the second batch of the state contingent in Bauchi.
Ahmad said the decision followed the directive conveyed to him by the acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nasiru Usman, conveying the reduction due to some reasons not revealed to him.
He explained that the situation has affected athletes and individual events, coaches, association secretaries and some other officials of the sports council.
Some of the athletes interviewed, Muhammad Abdulrahman and Nura Abubakar who spent two days at the premises of the State Sports Council waiting for the commencement of the journey to Asaba, expressed sadness for the last minute drop.
Others, particularly on Weight lifting and Basketball male teams from which the state is expected to win gold medals following past records, described their exclusion as a sabotage to government efforts in sports development.
An official of the state Sports Council, who spoke on anonymity, accused the sports ministry of taking over their official duties, which led to unnecessary delays in logistics and departure for the games.
The Bauchi State contingents were initially set to depart for Asaba last Sunday, but they could not leave Bauchi until Wednesday.
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