Nigeria’s Sports Ministry Clarifies Participation of Cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye in Paris Olympics

The Minister of Sports, John Owan, has addressed recent concerns raised regarding the participation of Nigerian athletes, particularly cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye, at the ongoing Paris Olympics. The clarification follows a social media post by Ukpeseraye, which sparked public debate and some misunderstandings about her involvement in the Olympic events.

In a statement released on his official social media account, Minister Owan stated, “My attention has been drawn to a post on social media by Ese Ukpeseraye. After reviewing the post and the subsequent comments, I took immediate action. It appears the post was grossly misunderstood, likely due to a lack of proper context.”

He further explained that Team Nigeria had initially qualified for only one road race in cycling, for which they thoroughly prepared in terms of training and competition equipment. However, two weeks ago, after the cycling team had already departed for the Olympics, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) reallocated additional slots to Nigeria in the Keirin and individual sprint events due to the disqualification of another country. This unexpected opportunity required the use of specialized equipment different from that used in the road race.

“For this track race reallocated to Team Nigeria, a very specific type of equipment approved for the Olympic track event is required,” Owan said. “Acquiring this equipment usually takes months. However, through collaborative efforts with Ese’s club in Europe and a German-owned company, a ‘Track Bike’ was secured for Ese.”

Minister Owan confirmed that Ese Ukpeseraye is now fully prepared to compete in the individual sprint event scheduled for August 9, 2024, the race she initially qualified for.

The Sports Ministry remains committed to ensuring that all Nigerian athletes are fully supported as they represent the nation on the world stage.