Head of the Egyptian National Sports Council (NSC) said the country’s Olympic athletes would receive new kits following the eruption of the counterfeit clothing scandal.

Synchronized swimmer Yomna Khallaf said on Twitter earlier in the week that members of the Olympic team were given fake Nike gear, prompting critics to launch an attack on the Egyptian Olympic Committee (NOC).

NOC head Mahmoud Ahmed Ali further stirred controversy when he admitted that he opted to sign with a Chinese distributor “in light of Egypt’s economic situation”.

“Mahmoud Ali will be questioned over what happened. An investigation is ongoing to find out the reasons which led to the NOC purchasing fake clothing,” Emad El-Bannany, head of the NSC, told Ahram daily.

Egypt’s football team, wearing an Adidas kit, opened their Olympic Games campaign with a narrow 3-2 defeat by gold medal favourites Brazil on Thursday.

The London Games officially gets underway on Friday.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)