The Tournament Director, CBN Open Tennis Championship, Seidu Musa has cleared the air on the claims by some players that they were stranded in Abuja over none payment of their prize money.
In a chat with Page3news.com.ng this evening, Seidu Musa said that only players without account number and incomplete bank details could claim that they have not received their prize money.
According to Musa, the few players yet to be paid were those that have not submitted their account details or some others whose details were incomplete.
“Over 90% players have received their money, only few are left. And the few who are yet to get their money are those without bank account. And arrangements are being made for the treasurer to pay them in cash. The players around have been paid in cash, and also, those that have account number and didn’t get their money, are those who didn’t drop correct bank account or bank name.
“So when those making the payments uploaded the number the players supplied, the money did not go. It bounced back because of wrong account number, which they will have to re-upload again.
“It’s quite unfortunate. What happened has never happened before. Previously, the federation takes the money and pay to the players in cash.
“Efforts are being made to do the final payment. Again, another issue was some of the players with students’ account, which cannot be paid to, and those in that category would be paid in cash. Between Wednesday and Thursday, everything would be sorted out”, Seidu Musa explained.
He pointed out that those that have left without collecting their money could still get if they give their colleagues and or friends in Abuja letter of authority to collect on their behalf.
“Almost all the players have been paid”, Musa, who have to return to Abuja from Minna, Niger State to sort out the players’ payment, stated.
Remarkably, the Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF President, Dayo Akindoju at the closing of the tournament, openly apologised to the players that could not get their prize money at the point they were defeated, and said whatever the lapse, would be corrected in the subsequent tournaments.
