Nigeria’s debut Olympic cyclist, Ese Ukpeseraye, was compelled to borrow a bike from the German team after facing a shortage of equipment in Paris.

Initially registered only for the women’s road race, Ukpeseraye unexpectedly found herself competing in the keirin and sprint events, which require specialized bikes. The 25-year-old athlete turned to social media to share her gratitude for the German team’s assistance.

“Due to the short notice of me competing in the keirin and sprint, I had no bicycle to race with,” Ukpeseraye wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team @bunddeutscherradfahr came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle. Thank you.”

Her post sparked criticism of Team Nigeria’s organizational shortcomings. However, Nigeria’s sports minister, John Owan Enoh, explained that the situation arose from a last-minute slot offer by the Union Cycliste Internationale due to a disqualification. This offer came after the Olympic team had already arrived in Paris.

Enoh clarified that acquiring the specialized track bike, which requires months to order and deliver, was not feasible under the circumstances. Ukpeseraye’s initial event was the women’s road race, where she, along with several others, did not finish the 154km route.