President of Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Giandomenico Massari, was optimistic that the experience gained at the just concluded 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in France would further enhance the growth of the sport in the country.
Massari stated this on Friday in Abuja while speaking on Team Nigeria’s outing at the world showpiece.
He said Nigeria’s cyclists despite making their debut at the world track championships were able to gather points which will aid their quest in qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“Getting four of our athletes to qualify for the world championships alone is a big achievement, because we are rated the best in Africa. Countries like Egypt and South Africa presented one and two athletes respectively, also our jersey was rated the best in the world championship.
“We have been able to gather points that would help our quest to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in France. The athletes themselves have gained a lot of experience and have competed with former and present world champions,” he said.
The CFN president called on corporate organisations and private individuals to support the growth of cycling at the grassroot level in the country as he commended the athletes and the cycling stakeholders for the great contribution so far.
On her part, Ese Ukpeseraye Lovina, Nigeria Team captain to the world championship, said that with more training and equipment, the team would deliver medals at the next world championships.
“We competed amongst the best cyclists in the world. This has further given us a lot of experience. So, we just need to train hard and to attend more competitions so that we can be at par with our counterparts outside the country”.
