ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has explained that cyclist Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye did not have an approved bike to compete in the keirin and sprint cycling event at the ongoing Olympics because Nigeria’s participation was announced late.
The sports ministry came under fire on social media following an X post by Ukpeseraye.
“Due to the short notice, I had to compete at the Keirin & Sprint. I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks.
“In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle,” Ukpeseraye wrote.
Reacting in an X post on Thursday evening, the sports minister said Ukpeseraye’s post was “grossly misunderstood”.
Enoh said he needed to make clarifications on the matter because the cyclist’s post “didn’t seem to give proper context to the matter in perspective”.
He said, “Ab initio, Team Nigeria qualified for one road race in cycling and prepared for it in terms of training and the appropriate competition equipment.
“Team Nigeria was fully prepared for this road race until two weeks ago after the Cycling team with the rest of Team Nigeria had already left for the Olympics, that a communication from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) was received reallocating additional slots to the Cyclist Federation of Nigeria (Kerin and individual sprint).
“This reallocation to Nigeria was due to the disqualification of a country, leaving Nigeria as the next eligible to make the list of qualified countries to compete.
“Unfortunately, this additional slot required the use of a different competition equipment in terms of biking.”
The sports minister added, “For this track race reallocated to Team Nigeria, very special equipment (approved specifically for the Olympic track game) is used.
“It’ll take months to have it delivered after ordering and making payment. To therefore get Ese to compete, the Federation through Ese’s club in Europe and working with a German-owned Company, got a ‘Track Bike’ for our cycler Ese.”
Enoh added that Ukpeseraye will race in an individual sprint event that she originally qualified for today, Friday, August 9.
