At the Paris 2024 Olympics, while Nigerians were celebrating the success of the senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, a troubling incident has emerged concerning another athlete.
Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, a Nigerian cyclist, took to social media to share her experience at the games, revealing a significant oversight by Team Nigeria.
Ukpeseraye had been preparing to compete in the keirin and sprint events, but when she arrived at the venue, she found herself without a bicycle.
In a moment of true sportsmanship, the German team stepped in to assist her.
They lent her a bicycle, allowing her to participate in the events.
In a post on X, Ukpeseraye expressed her gratitude to the German team, 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 d spirit of sportsmanship the German team @bunddeutscherradfahr came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle. Thank you🙌.”
This act of kindness ensured that she could still compete, despite the challenges.
A statement confirming the incident said, “Special thanks 🙌 to the German track team for providing @Ese_Ukpeseraye with a track bike after she received a late call up for the Keirin and Sprint events at #Paris2024.”
As of now, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Owan Enoh, has not commented on the situation.
With this incident, along with the earlier issue of Favour Ofili missing out on the 100m race, there are growing calls for an investigation into the management and preparation of Nigerian athletes at the Olympics.
