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Nigeria’s possibilities to compete in the 2025 world athletic relays have taken a dramatic turn and the general director of the National Sports Commission, HE. Bukola Olopade, has now taken a step forward with the complete facts, before the public conversation is kidnapped by erroneous information.
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Olopade confirmed that the Chinese embassy has now approved visas for Nigeria athletes, but warned that if the team does not compete, the fault does not lie in the Nigeria Athletics Federation (AFN), but with external forces.
“Let the facts be clear. The AFN did everything well. The NSC approved the necessary funds since February or March. This is not a Nigerian failure, it is a failure of the global systems,” he said.
The delay of the visa affected seven Nigerian athletes based in the United States to whom the Chinese consulate denied the entrance to Guangzhou. This occurs despite the local and international requests that are submitted weeks ago. All athletes at home had already received their visas.
Olopade criticized World Athletics for not ensuring that the host nation would provide visa access without problems for all competitors, saying that the situation highlights a gap in planning and equity.
AFN has now presented a formal request against World Athletics, requesting that Nigeria be granted a qualification pass. The Federation argues that all protocols followed and should not be punished for what it describes as a failure in global coordination.
“We are not only sitting. We have acted quickly and professionally, and we will not allow false stories to spread. The athletes deserve something better,” Olopade added.
Now efforts are being made to take the team to a flight outside Los Angeles. If they do it in time, it is still uncertain, but what is clear is that the narrative now belongs to those with the truth.
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