Nigerian cyclist, Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, was made to borrow a track bicycle from Team Germany to compete in the track cycling event at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ukpeseraye, after the race, showed appreciation to Germany for lending her the bike to represent Nigeria in the Keirin and Sprint events.

According to the African Cycling Confederation (CAC) Road Championships gold medalist, she was not informed about her participation in the track cycling, hence the unavailability of a bike for the competition.

"Due to the short notice of me competing in 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," she wrote on social media.

Despite not progressing to the next round, she became the first female Nigerian cyclist to compete in the event at the Olympics.

Reacting to the outstanding feat, she said she deserves accolades and that she has paved the way for other cyclists to be inspired.

"I deserve some accolades. Rep the Green, White, Green with pride. Epic moments. Write my name in gold. I have set the ball rolling for #Cycling in Nigeria," she wrote.

At the moment, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) are yet to react to the unfortunate situation.

EE