Seventeen years after they represented the country at the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan, eight of the Nigerian athletes are still crying over their unpaid allowances which was denied them by the leadership of the Nigeria University Games, NUGA.

The former athletes, some of whom now reside in the United States include Clement Chukwu, Kenny Aladefa, Kenneth Enyiazu, Udeme Ekpeyong, Ibukun Akinremi, William Erese Jude Monye and Pat Itanyi.

Of these lot, Saturday Vanguard sports spoke to two, Itanyi and Ekpeyong both of whom described as unfair the ill-treatnment of athletes either by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN or NUGA whenever they represent the country at international competitions.

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According to Itanyi, “these officials carry on as if they are doing you the athlete a favour. They never consider your welfare but want you to put in your best. Worst still they often try to hold on to allowances due toyou.”

She revealed that “most of us who represented Nigeria at the 1995 World University Games didn’t get our allowances. Every effort we made to talk the president then, Adeoti and even Bola Orodele who was the secretary failed.”

Through Itanyi, Saturday Vanguard sports got to know the names of the remaining athletes and made efforts to get them to speak on the issue even though it happened a long time ago but only Ekpenyong was able to get back to this reporter.

He said that what pains him is that both NUGA and the AFN behave alike, always trying to short-change athletes who burn themselves to represent the country.

“They seem to always cook up schemes to cheat athletes out of what is due them. I’m not here wanting to fight simply to get my money back but rather to illuminate what athletes face in a bid to represent Nigeria,” he stressed, adding that “in the 1995 University Games in Fukuoka, Japan, where I won silver in the 400m, the then president (Dr. Adeoti) said there was not enough money on hand to pay us.”

When contacted to reactv on the allegations made by Itanyi and Udeme, the immediate past NUGA president, Dr. Ken Anugweje said that he was not in a position to say what happened to their money or if they could be paid now as there was no record on that.

The president and secretary of NUGA at the time, Adeoti and Orodele respectively could not be reaced to throw more light on the athletes allegation.