The United Arab
Emirates (UAE) on Thursday barred Nigerian athletes from participating in the
15th FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai.
According to PUNCH,
the athletes and their representatives said they were denied access to take
part in the competition on the order of UAE authorities.
The athletes were also quoted as saying that they had
arrived in Dubai to participate in the event but were disallowed from
representing their country even though they did not travel from Nigeria.
“On sighting our Nigerian passports, the UAE officials treated us with disdain,” a female athlete was quoted to have said.
It is understood that the development had forced some of the
athletes to withdraw from the competition.
Some of the athletes also said they were denied access to
see their Nigerian officials.
“The officials were not even allowed to leave their hotel
rooms and competition started yesterday,” another athlete said.
One of the Nigerian officials also said: “It is probably
important we inform the Nigerian media of the treatment being faced by the
Nigerian Swimming Team here in Abu Dhabi (UAE) at the ongoing FINA Short Course
World Championships.
“Essentially, the whole team has been forced to withdraw
from the competition, despite being vaccinated, doing multiple PCR tests, and
not departing from Nigeria.
“The reason for the team being withdrawn was because one of
the coaches tested positive for COVID-19, yet the officials, local government
and FINA all collectively decided to remove everyone in the team from the
competition, deeming them as close contacts.
“In one case, one Nigerian swimmer travelled from the USA
just yesterday morning, was fully vaccinated, had all the required tests,
didn’t even have any contact with the coach that tested positive, yet he was
not allowed to compete.
“For Habibat Abiola,
she came from Russia, didn’t have contact with this coach, but again, can’t
compete
“So, all these Nigerians travelling from different places
around the world, being denied the opportunity to represent Nigeria here in
UAE.
“I can assure you, if they were Europeans or Americans, they
would definitely allow them to compete.”
The development comes amid the lingering diplomatic row
between Nigeria and the UAE.
It remains to be seen if the disqualification of Nigerian
athletes is connected to the issue between both nations.
The organisers of the 2021 FINA and the ministry of youth
and sports development are yet to speak on the matter as of the time of this
report.
The Nigeria Aquatics Federation previously known as the
Nigeria Swimming Federation could also not be reached for comments as the board
of the federation had been dissolved.
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