30th June, 2011
Reports from Port Harcourt, venue of the ongoing 17th National Sports Festival early today say some officials and athletes of Team Lagos were seriously injured during a fracas that ensued over accommodation lapses at the Games Village at King Jaja Hall, Delta Park of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
P.M. Sports gathered that at least four officials of the Lagos contingent were beaten by men of the Joint Task Force when Team Lagos were ordered to relocate to another hostels within the Village.
Head Coach of Team Lagos, Kally Agogo; Assistant coach, Dambe Idowu and Assistant coach, Kakowa, Wale Falana and some boxers were among those who were treated for the injuries suffered during the fracas.
It was learnt that Team Borno took over the hostel allocated to the Lagos team by the organisers before they arrived on Monday. Another hostel was given to them through the timely intervention of the Rivers State Deputy Governor, Teneh Ikuru, who told the Camp Commandant to enforced the directive. Unknown to the men of the Task Force, they mistook the Lagos’ officials and athletes to be disobeying Ikuru’s order, a situation that led to the fracas.
The athletes and officials were not around when the order for Team Lagos to relocate was made.
At the time of filing this report, calm had returned to the camp while the injured officials and athletes were lamenting their predicament.