"I had no bicycle to race with" - Cyclist Ese Ukpeserayeg borrows bike to compete at Paris Olympics 2024, credits German team for generosity
In an unprecedented incident, cyclist Ese Ukpeserayeg had to borrow a bike to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Nigerian, who was to participate in the keirin and sprint cycling event on August 7, did not have an approved bike.
Ese found herself in a difficult spot, with a non-participation looking likely. The Nigerian has since disclosed that she had to eventually borrow a bicycle from the German team to be able to participate in the event.
In a post made on the social media platform, X (Twitter), the Nigerian has thanked her German counterparts for their generosity. The 25-year-old put up a note to express her gratitude for the German team, because of whom she was able to compete.
"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🙌🙌🙌," she wrote.
Nigerian Sports Ministry clarifies Ese Ukpeserayeg's post
Ese Ukpeserayeg's post initiated criticism against the Nigerian Sports Ministry and other stakeholders. The ministry thus clarified its position on the issue and claimed that the entire fiasco was caused because the athlete was invited to compete in the said event on short notice.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, claimed that Ese Ukpeserayeg was supposed to participate in a lone road race event. It was only later that another event got added.
"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)," wrote Enoh on X (Twitter).
He further explained that the special equipment required to compete in the said event was arranged by the federation.
"For this track race reallocated to Team Nigeria, a very special equipment (approved specifically for the Olympic track game) is used. 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," he concluded.
Ese competed in the women's individual sprint on August 9, the race she originally qualified for.