Shocking details have emerged of how the national U-20 volleyball team were left with no choice but to embark on a 72-hour journey to Niger to participate in the qualifiers for the Africa Youth Volleyball Championships.

The 36-member contingent left Accra on Monday morning and are expected to arrive in Niger on Wednesday morning after what is expected to be an arduous journey for the young players and officials.

Joy Sports understands the Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to provide resources for the team to embark on the journey despite the Volleyball Association submitting a request for $18,000 several weeks before the trip.

Despite repeated efforts to have the budget approved, the players were left red-faced after the International Games Committee chaired by the Deputy Minister of Sports, Evans Bobie Opoku, refused their request.

The Deputy Minister was later discovered to be in Morocco with the Black Meteors and efforts to reach him were futile.

The team left without any official kit or any identifiable uniform and now expected to take care of themselves on the trip which was made possible through personal efforts of the executive board of the Volleyball Association.

The competition is expected to start on Monday, July 3, and run until July 3.