‘Ese did not borrow bicycle, Federation got her a track bike’ — Sports Minister

‘Ese did not borrow bicycle, Federation got her a track bike’ — Sports Minister

The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has addressed the controversy surrounding Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye’s participation in the ongoing Paris Olympics. Contrary to earlier reports that suggested Ukpeseraye had to borrow a bicycle from a German cycling team, the Sports Minister has confirmed that the Federation was able to secure a track bike for her in time for the keirin and sprint events.

Reports emerged that Ukpeseraye was left without a bicycle to compete in the Olympic cycling events, leading her to borrow one from a German team. In a post shared on her X (formerly Twitter) handle, Ukpeseraye had expressed her gratitude to the German team for providing her with a bicycle at the last minute, stating, “Due to the short notice of me competing at 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. Thank you.”

This statement sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning the preparedness of Nigeria’s sports authorities.

However, in a follow-up post on Friday, Sports Minister John Enoh provided crucial clarifications, stating that Ukpeseraye’s initial post may have been misunderstood and lacked the proper context.

Enoh explained that Team Nigeria originally prepared for only one road race in cycling, which included the necessary training and competition equipment.

However, just two weeks before the Olympics, after the Nigerian cycling team had already arrived in Paris, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) reallocated additional slots to the Cycling Federation of Nigeria, allowing Ukpeseraye to compete in the keirin and individual sprint events.

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This reallocation occurred due to the disqualification of another country, with Nigeria being the next eligible nation.

The Minister further highlighted that the newly allocated track events required specific equipment, notably a specialized track bike, which could take months to deliver after ordering.

Despite this challenge, the Federation, in collaboration with Ukpeseraye’s club in Europe and a German-owned company, successfully acquired a track bike for her.

Enoh reassured the public that the Federation acted swiftly to ensure Ukpeseraye could compete in the additional events, despite the short notice.

He also confirmed that Ukpeseraye would be racing in the individual sprint event on August 9th, the race she originally qualified for.

The Minister’s clarification aims to address the misunderstanding and reaffirm the Federation’s commitment to supporting Nigerian athletes at the Olympics.