Onyeocha: Imo has settled contingent’s full allowances

Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Obinna Onyeocha, yesterday, informed that the 300 athletes and about 100 officials currently participating in the Eighth National Youth Games have been paid their allowances to boost their morale.

Onyeocha said that Governor Hope Uzodimma has fully paid the athletes’ allowances, adding that Imo State is still on top of the game.

He said that the state won the South East zonal preliminaries in Enugu, boasting: “We will perform the same way here to appreciate the governor’s gesture .

“So far, so good, we have done well. We have won one gold medal, one silver, and about three bronze medals within this spate of time. We are still going to get more, and in the end, Imo will go home with nothing less than 20 gold medals.”
 
He further said that the state governor was expecting more champions to emerge from the state, and nothing else. So, nothing stops the contingent to top other states in the medal table at the end of the game.

Onyeocha, whose state is among those with the highest contingents at the Games, said that the governor has promised to develop any of the athletes who excel at the Games, adding: “The governor has mandated us to pick the champions for further development.”

That is one of the reasons we are here in Asaba for the Games.”

The commissioner denied the allegation that his commission abandoned some key athletes and potential medallists in Owerri, saying: “Coming to Asaba with this number of people is enough evidence that nobody was left behind.”