Team Nigeria’s cyclist, Ese Ukpeseraye, borrowed a bicycle from a German opponent to compete for Nigeria at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Thursday.
Ukpeseraye, who was given a short notice about her participation in the Keirin and Sprint repechage, saw a display of sportsmanship from German opponent, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, who stepped in to assist the Nigerian cyclist with a bicycle to race on the tracks.
Ukpeseraye expressed her appreciation to the German counterpart on her X handle (formerly Twitter), saying: “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.”
Ukpeseraye finished fourth position retuning in +0.589, which was not enough for the Nigeria champion to qualify for the Olympics quarterfinals.
It seemed there was an expectation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would provide bicycles for the participating athletes, which is typically part of their role in ensuring that athletes have the necessary equipment for competition. However, it turned out that it won’t be so coupled with the short notice given to Nigeria’s Ukpeseraye
The incident underscores the logistical challenges that can arise in major international competitions and highlights the importance of cooperation and sportsmanship among players and teams.
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