Harare — THE Midlands football team, which won gold at the National Youth Games, was involved in an ugly row over kit and unpaid allowances with their officials in Kadoma on Tuesday.

Police had to intervene to sort out the wrangle.

The players had withheld the kit and their management sought the help of the police who took the away uniforms and later released the players without charge.

The uniforms were still being held by police in Kadoma yesterday.

Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Paul Nyathi said they were keen to have the matter solved amicably between the two parties. "I can confirm that there was a dispute between some athletes who were are part of the Midlands team to the recently held Zimbabwe National Youth Games hosted by Mashonaland West.

"The dispute involved the issue of uniforms that the athletes were said to have withheld over alleged allowances promised to them.

"As police we did not arrest anyone but asked that the uniforms be left in the hands of security agencies as the parties seek to find an amicable solution," said Paul Nyathi.

The Midlands Under-18 team beat Bulawayo 4-3 on penalties to take the gold medal in the men's football final at Chinhoyi Stadium on Tuesday before problems in their camp surfaced. It is understood the management of the Midlands Youth Games team had promised that the players to retain the playing kit, sponsored by mining company Murowa Diamonds, should they win a gold medal.

But Luke Petros' men were surprised when they were asked to return the kit.

The players, speaking through their captain Maxwell Mavhuto, voiced their disapproval before asking to be paid their allowances.

The indemnity forms given to the players stated that they were going to be refunded the money they had used to travel from their locations to Gweru where they were camped before the Games.