CWG: Nigeria Medalists Owed $90,000

There are indications that the cash rewards promised Team Nigeria athletes for winning medals at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia is yet to be paid 24.

24 medals split into 9 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze were won by Team Nigeria, and from the breakdown gold medalists were entitled to $5,000, while $3,000 was promised the silver, $2,000 was for bronze winners.

On the whole $45,000 should have gone to the 5 gold medalists, $27,000 to the 9 silver medalists and $18,000 shared among the 6 athletes that won bronze which amounts to $90,000.

Nigeria’s Oluwatobiloba Amusan celebrates with flag after winning the athletics women’s 100m hurdles final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 13, 2018. PHOTO: SAEED KHAN/AFP

But investigations show that the Federal government through the National Sports Commission is yet to fulfill its pledge before the team’s departure.

It was also gathered that the athletes were not paid their training grants before they departed Australia.

Some of the Nigerian athletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The development has not gone down well with the athletes who were further angered by the fact that their foreign colleagues were each paid $8,000.

The contingents would return home on two batches on Wednesday. The team of 90 athletes and officials would be flown in two chartered Emirates Airlines to Abuja and Lagos respectively.

“The team will fly Emirates Airline and in two batches and in separate flights, and from Dubai they will fly one batch to Abuja while the second batch will land in Lagos,” a source has said.
Nigeria won a total of 24 medals to finish 9th on the table.