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Nigerian athletes are reportedly struggling to get visas that will allow them to compete at the upcoming World Athletics Relays, and fans have been left devastated on the players’ behalf.
The World Athletics Relays are scheduled to take place in Nassau, Bahamas between the 2nd and 5th of May. The competition is of utmost importance as it serves as a qualification event for the upcoming 2024Paris Olympics.
This is not the first time Nigerian athletes have been plagued by visa woes. In 2021, the team was forced to sit out the World Athletics Relays taking place in Silesia, Poland. That event was also an Olympic qualifier, serving as a window to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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This year itself has seen Nigerian Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World Championships medalist, Ese Brume, being denied a visa to China, making her unable to compete at the Shanghai Diamond League.
Reacting to this news, fans were quick to rise to the defense of Nigerian athletes, terming their visa denial absurd.
“This is ridiculous,” - one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote.
A couple of fans questioned how athletes performing on the biggest stages could be treated like this, writing,
“But this is stupid and silly. These are athletes, some are even Olympians but the embassies will still deny them.”
“I am surprised that someone of Ese Brume's stature still gets refused visas. I mean, she is one of the best Long Jumpers in the world. Has won Olympics, World Outdoor and Indoor medals. And still gets refused visas. This is sad. Shouldn't @WorldAthletics do something about it?” another commenter expressed.
Another set of fans questioned what the authorities in charge were doing to prevent this,
“What's actually ministry of foreign affairs and sports doing to stop all these rubbish from happening again? Absolutely nothing,” one fan wrote on X.
“That’s not fair. Can WA not help get visas for athletes? These are World Class athletes here,” another added.
One track and field enthusiasts wondered why an athlete would be denied a visa, writing,
“Why? She's (Ese Brume) an athlete.”
Before World Athletics Relays, Ese Brume was denied visa for China
The World Athletics Relays isn't the only time this month when Ese Brume faced visa issues. She was previously denied a visa for China, which led to her being forced to skip the Shanghai Diamond League.
For Brume, the meet in Shanghai/Suzhou was an opportunity to clear the 6.86 meter mark that would have given her a direct ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Speaking of her visa being denied, Brume's coach Kayode Yahaya was confused about the reason, telling The Guardian that they had submitted all the necessary documents.
"I don't really know why they refused to give us visa this time. Last year, they did not waste time before giving us the visa to attend the Diamond League in China. We were shocked when they handed our passport to us without visa.
Ese Brume still has several opportunities to get to her third consecutive Games, including the African Senior Athletics Championships that take place in June and the Diamond League meet in France scheduled for July.
