Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye revealed that she had to borrow a bicycle from the German team to compete in the Keirin and Sprint events at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 25-year-old, who made history as the first Nigerian cyclist to compete at the Olympics, disclosed that the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN) failed to provide her with the necessary equipment.
Ukpeseraye took to social media to express her gratitude towards the German team, stating, “Due to the short notice of me competing in the Keirin & Sprint, #TeamNigeria, I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks. In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team @bunddeutscherradfahr came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle.”
This incident is part of a larger pattern of administrative failures that have marred Team Nigeria’s participation in the Paris Games.
Earlier in the tournament, the negligence of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the NOC resulted in sprinter Favour Ofili being denied the opportunity to compete in the women’s 100m event.
Ofili, 21, who had qualified for the Olympics by winning the National Olympic Trials in Benin, announced on social media that she would not be racing in the 100m event due to the failure of the NOC and AFN to submit her name for the competition.
In response to the growing outcry, Nigeria’s sports minister, John Enoh, requested an investigation and urged the NOC and AFN to rectify the situation and ensure Ofili’s participation.
However, the late efforts of both bodies were unsuccessful, and the athlete was unable to compete.
The NOC and AFN have yet to accept responsibility for these incidents, with each organization attempting to shift the blame onto the other.
The mishandling of Team Nigeria’s athletes has drawn widespread criticism, raising concerns about the governance and preparedness of the country’s sports federations at the international level.
