Rivers State Swimming Association rips off athlete

The 4th Rivers State Governors Cup National Open Swimming Championships may be over, but its negative memories will longer on for some time, nigeriasports.com can exclusively report.

One of such memories would no doubt be the camping situation of the Rivers State Swimming team, who rather than stay in Hotels, for which money was provided, the Association decided them have the swimmers sleep in the Secretaries office, an inhuman arrangement.

The so-called camp of the team was the Swimming Association Secretary’s office with tiny mattresses on the ground and on tables for swimmers to sleep on.

“We didn’t really have a camp,” a young swimmer told nigeriasports.com during the championships.

“The secretary just put small mattresses in his office and that is where we stayed during the five day competition.”
[photo alt="swim" align=right]swim[/photo]
Rivers Swimmers camp in Secretary's
office for Governors cup

“We did not protest because some of us are still young in the team and we were waiting for the senior swimmers to make a case but unfortunately they did not.”

However, Secretary of the Association, Benjamin Akobo- Ibi Igoni told nigeriasports.com that the athletes themselves insisted on sleeping in his office.
[photo alt="swim" align=left]swim[/photo]
More pictures of the camp

“We conducted an open camp since funds were scarce and there was really no provision for accommodation.”

“The Swimmers came to sleep in my office because that was what they requested, since according to them they needed a place to relax between the morning and afternoon sessions”

Benjamin Akobo insisted that he did the swimmers a favour by letting them sleep in his office since that was what they wanted and he had to rally round to provide mattresses for them.