Team Nigeria arrive Colombia for Cycling Nations Cup

 

Nigeria female elite cycling team arrived Colombia Monday where they will be participating at the Tack Cycling Nations Cup billed to hold at the Velódromo Alcides Nieto Patiño in Cali from 9th to 12 September, 2021.

Sportinglife.ng reports that the Nations Cup, which serves as pre-qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, will feature 25 countries across the world. Nigeria and South Africa are the two representatives from Africa.

The Nigeria athletes that departed the country on Sunday are Ese Ukperaye Lovina, Tawakalit Oyetayo Yekeen, Grace Ayuba and Mary Sunday Samuel. The team will be guided at the event by a Colombian coach, Absie Rincon Reyes.

The Chairman of the Cycling Federation of Nigerian, Chief Giandomenico Massari informed Sportinglife.ng that the competition is one of the event the athletes will use to acquire points in race for the Olympics 2024 qualification.

“Our cyclists started the preparations long ago at a camp in Velodrome in Abuja, even alongside the male and female junior teams that will be returning on Tuesday (today) from the Junior World Championship held in Cairo, Egypt.

“We will be parading our best female cyclists who have won laurels for this country in Colombia.

“We have decided to follow all the procedures to make sure we participate in as many Nations Cup and other competitions, so that we can be able to acquire points for the final qualification for the next Olympic Games in Paris.

“We are trying to participate in many competitions but funding has been the problem. The ministry has been supportive but we want them to do more in terms of finance.

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“We have signed an agreement a month ago in Cairo with the Confederation of African Cycling to host the next Year’s African Track Championship in Abuja. This will be another avenue to acquire points too,” Massari told Sportinglife.ng

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