Olympics: Crisis Hits Team Nigeria’s Camp As Ministry, NOC Fight Over Kits

A crisis was narrowly avoided in Team Nigeria’s camp at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris when the sports ministry and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) clashed over the provision of kits for the athletes.

The two bodies had each provided different kits for the athletes. According to Sports Village Square, the sports ministry was upset that the NOC had signed a deal with a kit company without informing them, as the ministry believed it should have been carried along in such a decision.

Further investigation by New Telegraph revealed that top officials of the ministry were threatening to instruct athletes to not use the kits.

“The Minister’s intervention on Monday indeed quelled the brewing crisis, it could have snowballed into a big issue.

The NOC should have informed the ministry about the kit deal it signed with a firm but all is well now, the matter has been resolved,” a source told our correspondent.

Sports Village Square reported that normally, there is always a general kit, which everyone should have and there is also the competition kit which is the prerogative of each sports federation.

“For instance, the NFF has Nike as its kit suppli – er, there is no way you will ask the footballers to wear a different attire from that supplied by Nike,” a source.”