News
2026 African Cycling Championship: Outdated Racing Bicycles Costing Nigeria Medals — CFN VP
By Aderonke Ojo
Dr James Amidu, Vice-President of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), says outdated racing equipment is hindering Nigeria’s cyclists performance at the ongoing 2026 African Track Cycling Championship in Abuja.
Amidu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) in an interview on Saturday in Abuja that Nigeria’s cyclists are competing at a disadvantage, with outdated riders equipment cited as the primary barrier to winning more medals.
According to him, Nigerian riders are using ordinary bicycles, while their continental rivals compete with advanced, race-specific machines because they lacked modern racing bicycles used by other countries.
He said the technology gap between Nigerian cyclists and stronger African nations was evident on the track.
“The equipment gap has placed Nigerian riders at a disadvantage against stronger cycling nations on the continent.
“You can see the kind of equipment they are using here in Abuja is not what we in Nigeria are using.
“We are still using ordinary bicycles, while others are using more advanced machines specifically designed for each event. I think that is part of the problem,” he said.
Amidu cited the performances of South Africa and Egypt over the last two days as evidence of the disparity in equipment quality.
“South Africa claimed the majority of gold medals on Friday, while Egypt and South Africa dominated Thursday’s events.
“It’s not that they are better than us. The issue is that the equipment is not available.
“Other countries come with bicycles specifically designed for each race they are participating in. We usually improvise,” he said.
The CFN vice-president said the federation was making efforts to acquire modern racing bicycles to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness at future championships.
Amidu, however, said the official medal tally for the current championship is still being compiled, and the federation would release verified figures once the process is complete to avoid misinformation.
“I cannot give you the exact medal figures for now because we are still compiling them.
“Whatever information I give now may not be accurate, and as journalists, people expect verified facts from you,” he said.
In spite of the equipment limitations, Amidu said Nigeria won 16 medals at the 3rd Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Para Championship held from May 9 to May 11 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome in Abuja.
He said Nigeria topped the medal table with nine gold, five silver and two bronze medals ahead of Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Algeria.
Amidu said the performance of the para cyclists demonstrated the potential and resilience of Nigerian athletes in spite of inadequate equipment challenges confronting the sport.
“I do not think it should discourage us because if physically challenged athletes can win medals, then we too can succeed even without the best equipment.
“We will continue to make use of what is available, but we must upgrade our equipment for better results,” he said.
He also decried low spectator turnout and poor media coverage at the championship, attributing it to inadequate publicity.
Amidu, who also serves as the board representative for North Central Nigeria and Chairman of the Plateau Cycling Federation, said that the National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko was present to witness the championship on Friday for the first time.
The African Track Cycling Championship in Abuja is currently in its final stages with medal events still ongoing.
NAN reports that the total of eight countries participating are Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Benin Republic and host nation Nigeria.
The championships, which commenced on May 11 and is expected to end on May 17 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome Package A, in Abuja, is the 12th Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Track Cycling Championships.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
Nine people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus at Dungus, Kuru District, Jos South council area.
The police command in Plateau confirmed the attack in a statement by its spokesman, Alfred Alabo, on Monday.
The command said it received a distress report at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday that terrorists operating on a motorcycle had attacked the bus.
According to the statement, the Toyota bus, with registration number BUU 621 ZL, was conveying passengers to Jos when the gunmen opened fire.
It said seven people were confirmed dead at the scene, while two others who sustained gunshot injuries later died in hospital. The police said the development brought the total number of fatalities from the attack to nine.
The police commissioner, Ayodeji Faniyan, immediately mobilised Mobile Police operatives, tactical teams, homicide detectives and forensic experts to the scene.
(NAN)
News
“Foreign Players Aren’t the Solution” — Mahbubat Salaudeen Challenges Olanrewaju’s Take After Rivers United’s CAF Exit
Writer and poet Mahbubat Salaudeen has challenged Rivers United assistant coach Yemi Olanrewaju’s argument that Nigerian football needs more foreign players to compete effectively at the continental and international levels.
Olanrewaju, speaking after Rivers United’s CAF Champions League elimination by FC San Pedro, had argued that foreign players are essential to the development of a competitive league.
“No league will survive without foreigners. The English Premier League didn’t do well until the Cantonás and the Thierry Henrys started coming in.”
However, Salaudeen believes bringing in foreign players is not the immediate solution to the challenges facing Nigerian football.
Sports247 reports, according to the writer, while foreign recruitment could potentially benefit the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) in the long term, the priority should currently be on exposing domestic clubs and players to a higher level of competition.
“Bringing in foreign players isn’t the solution Nigerian football needs. It may work, but that will be in the long term when the clubs have the money or are willing to spend,” Salaudeen argued.
She instead called for NPFL clubs to regularly play tougher opponents in international friendly matches, stressing that such exposure would help Nigerian players and teams become better prepared for continental competition.
Salaudeen pointed to the recent experience of Nigeria’s women’s U20 national team as an example of the importance of competing against technically superior opposition.
“The Nigeria women U20 national team faced academies/players they were technically better than and somehow we’re disappointed they lost two of their games in the group stage?” she questioned.
For Salaudeen, the problem goes beyond results. She believes Nigerian teams need to consistently test themselves against opponents who operate at a higher technical and tactical level before entering major international competitions.
“They will lose to England too because those girls are not technically prepared for the level of competition needed to excel against such opponents,” she added.
Her comments have reignited the debate over the best pathway for improving Nigerian football, with questions surrounding player development, competitive exposure, club investment and the role of foreign players in the NPFL.
While Olanrewaju sees quality foreign imports as part of the evolution of successful leagues, Salaudeen’s argument places greater emphasis on improving the competitive environment around Nigerian clubs and ensuring domestic players are regularly exposed to stronger opposition.
-
Business3 days agoFG settles severance benefits for 2,100 former Nigeria Airways workers after two decades
-
News3 days ago
Revolut confirms customer data breach through fake government requests
-
Health3 days ago
PT Health Watch: How laboratory tests can help detect colorectal cancer early
-
News3 days ago
Mecka AI nears $500M valuation in Sequoia-led deal amid rush for robot training data
