The assistant coach of Nigerian female basketball team, D’Tigress, Abiola Juwon, has accused the country’s sports ministry of failing to pay her bonuses.
The team made history at the 2024 Olympics after being the first African team to reach the quarter-final stage of the competition.
However, this triumph has been marred by unpaid bonuses and maltreatment of the team players and staff, according to Abiola Juwon.
In a series of posts, she made on Wednesday night via her Instagram page, the assistant coach accused the Nigerian authorities of paying players less than half of what they promised.
She added that assistant coaches including her were not paid any bonuses and the sports ministry kept shunning their pleas.
She wrote: “abiolajuwon34 Nigeria, @tigressofficial @fiba @olympics @espnw. To go to the Olympics and experience something my Father did with the USA was a dream.
“I wanted to be at the Opening Ceremony since I was 8 at the Atlanta Olympics, but Nigeria denied women’s basketball and then had the Minister tell us we are young enough to go to the next one.
“Assistant Coaches put blood sweat and tears to making sure players accomplished history. Assistants coaches scouting Germany, Serbia, Japan, Australia, France, Canada, and USA losing by 14 now (not 60 in February) helped @_coachre Rena Wakama get coach of the year with @fiba.
“To now lie and not pay your coaches for their work and want to keep my money for the 3 games before the Olympics because I work in the @wnba is sad. It’s sad players (the one who got paid) got less than what was promised by the Ministry.
“It is also sad that the Assistant coaches aren’t getting our money (that was promised) at all and are now being Ignored. We made history… Give what was Promised.”
She further revealed that the team head coach, Arena Wakama was later removed from the team’s WhatsApp platform because of her persistent condemnation of the maltreatment.
She added: “Asking for updates for over two weeks about payment of Allowances and being Ignored privately and in the group text…. Is the solution to Pay your assistant coaches there “Allowances” for there work????
“Nope! Have the Head Coach remove you from the group chat. @fiba #yourcoachoftheyear. I’m ok with speaking up when others are scared too. They said I should receive confirmation of what was allotted for staff I, but I guess they will let me know a different way.”
Nigerians had demanded the resignation of Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh following the poor performance of the country’s athletes in Paris.
SaharaReporters had reported that the government expressed its deep disappointment at the country’s poor performance at the Olympics, describing the country’s team performance as “disaster”.
Also, Omoyele Sowore, convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, also demanded the immediate dismissal of Enoh following Team Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the event.
However, the minister has shunned the calls for his resignation.
