Rio Olympics: Dream Team will travel today —Dalung

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung has assured that arrangements have been concluded for Nigeria’s Dream Team VI to leave the United States for Brazil today ahead of their Rio 2016 Olympics opener against Japan.

He made this known when he visited the football and basketball teams ahead of Rio 2016 in their camps in USA.

Dalung said he had been properly briefed about the state of affairs in the players’ camp by the captain, John Mikel Obi and the Consulate in Atlanta.

He stated that arrangements have been concluded to airlift the team to Manaus, Brazil venue of their first game in a charter plane today (Tuesday).

Dalung said clearance has also been obtained from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Rio to facilitate smooth flight operations.

Dalung however, frowned, on the camp’s conditions and welfare of the players as he restated that the Ministry was not carried along in line with approved training and camping programmes for the games.

“There is no doubt that the ministry was not considered while plans were being made for the Olympic football team. Nevertheless, we shall intervene to remedy the situation. I have appealed to the captain to assume control of the team and restore sanity. For officials who decided to violate the code of their profession and take to media rampage to secure cheap blackmail, their conduct will definitely be measured with existing rules. We have decided to restore sanity and discipline in Team Nigeria. We shall stop at nothing to sanction any conduct that is not within the code of Rio 2016 operations. All federations are hereby directed to stick to the rules,” he said.

Dalung had earlier visited D’Tigers camp at the Hotel ICON Houston to cheer the senior men’s basketball team in their last friendly against the star-studded USA team.

D’Tigers are scheduled to leave for Rio tomorrow.