Nigeria fourth as South Africa dominates African Track Cycling Championship

Nigerian cyclists, at the weekend, finished fourth at the just-concluded 2022 African Track Cycling Championship held at the Velodrome of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

South Africa dominated the championship, which featured 13 other countries.

Nigerian cyclists won four gold, seven silver and six bronze medals to end with 17 medals, a far cry from their position at the recent Africa Cup Championship that the cyclists dominated at the same venue.

Some of the Nigerian cyclists told The Guardian that they had inadequate preparation for the continental championship. “Our preparation and welfare during this African Track Cycling Championship was completely zero and a complete departure from the previous ones. This time, there was no proper training and our feeding was next to zero.

“We are not expected to perform optimally with virtually empty stomach. Our performance is a signal to the management of cycling that all is not well with us. We oftentimes fed ourselves while in camp,” some of the cyclists said.

South Africa amassed 43 medals, comprising 20 gold, 13 silver and nine bronze.

Egypt placed second with eight gold, eight silver and 10 bronze, while Algeria came third with five gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.

Morocco ended in the fifth position with four gold, five silver and four bronze medals, while Benin Republic and Cote d’Ivoire garnered one bronze medal each.