President of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Giandomenico Massari, has urged corporations and private individuals to support the growth of cycling at the grassroots level in the country.
This was stated by Massari in Abuja over the weekend while speaking about Team Nigeria’s performance at the recently concluded UCI Track Cycling World Championships in France.
He expressed confidence that the World Championship experience would enhance the sport’s growth in the country. He also commended the athletes and cycling stakeholders for their outstanding contributions thus far.
Despite making their debut at the world track championships, he said Nigeria’s cyclists were able to accumulate points that will help them qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
“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.
Captain of the Nigerian team at the world championship, Ese Ukpeseraye Lovina, said that with more training and equipment, the team would be able to bring home medals at the next world championships.
