Local Midlands firm delivers kits for Team Nigeria in two days after original supplier let them down

BRITISH sporting kit manufacturer MG Sportswear has come to the rescue of Team Nigeria by hurriedly supplying them with emergency kits after their original ordered outfits failed to arrive ahead of the opening ceremony.

Nigeria sent a 93-strong team to Birmingham for the 11-day Commonwealth Games, which opened yesterday night. However, the team inexplicably arrived in Birmingham without its kits, so MG Sportswear in Kidderminster was approached to make hundreds of items at the last minute.

Gino Ruffinato, MG Sportswear's manager said that at first, he thought it was a wind-up but when he found out it was for real, he and his team got on with it.  He launched his 14 staff into action and they managed to deliver before the opening ceremony.

Mr Ruffinato said: “As it progressed, I started getting emails with orders on, so at that point, I thought, hang on, I think this is serious. When they hit us with the deadline saying it needs to be there for Friday and today was Tuesday, it was a bit hair-raising.”

"There’s all the fabric, the print, the designs to get out in two days. I still pinch myself as I’ll be looking on the telly and seeing the MG Sportswear brand for a national team.”

His team had to make 200 pieces of kit including running vests and shorts, staff tracksuits, and even 400 Nigerian badges. Mr Ruffinato said it had been panic stations but his staff had embraced the challenge.

He said he would pay even keener attention to the games now after providing the emergency help. Mr Ruffinato added:  "Everybody's embraced it, they've worked hard and done many hours to make sure it happens."