By Okey Alozie
The players of Heartland Queens football club of Owerri Imo State are facing serious hard times as a result of non- payment of salaries and allowances for more than one year.
Trumpeta learnt that the hunger stricken players were unable to honour their last away match in Lokoja last week due to finance difficulties and managed to play at home in Owerri At Sunday because lesser logistics to host away teams. The possibility of going to Yenogoa this weekend to play away to Bayelsa Queens is remote as lack of funds is gradually crippling the existence of the club supervised by the State Ministry of Sports. Our reporter who went to monitor the players at their camp in Dan Anyiam Stadium revealed that the players can’t afford to feed themselves any longer and some suspected to have engaged in illicit acts to survive.
Some of the players who spoke to our reporter cried out over the ill treatment being meted on them by the management and government of Imo State.
The Captain, assistant captain and quality players it was gathered have left the team because of the “bad condition”.
Heartland Queens FC are occupying the last position on the female league table of their group after managing to win only their last home match at Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri last Saturday.
The players have now resolved to fast and pray for God to come to the rescue the team, it would be recalled went on relegation last season, but bought a space to bounce back. When contacted, the Sports Commissioner, Hon Robberson Ekwebelem said he is not aware that the players have not been paid, adding that whatever went wrong must be corrected. In his words “it is not true that the Heartland Queen players have not received their salaries since this year” Ekwebelem submitted. We were told that the male team (Heartland Football Players are having the same problem.
