Abysmal Performance has been Happening before my Appointment – Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung

The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said that he is not the problem of the Nigerian sports sector.

He made the statement to State House Correspondents after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the performance of the Nigerian contingent at the just concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“I am not the problem of Nigerian sports. Abysmal performance has been happening before me,” the minister was quoted as saying.

On the reason for Nigeria’s poor performance at the Games, Dalung said that it was due to late release of funds and inability to develop home-grown talents.

According to the minister, it was time Nigeria returned to the grassroots and groom talents for future competitions.

On the appointment of the new foreign coach, Gernot Rohr, Dalung said he wished him the best, although he was yet to be informed officially.

He also decried the way Samson Siasia was treated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), saying that the nation still needs Siasia for football development.

He lamented the fact that Siasia’s official car was withdrawn while he was still in Rio, adding that it would be sad to lose him to another country who appreciates his worth.

Dalung said that after meeting with Japanese Surgeon Dr. Katsuya Takasu in Rio, he was convinced that there were no strings like match-fixing, attached to his $390,000 donation to the team.