By Andrew Abah, Abuja
The 2026 Africa Para and Track Cycling Championships currently going on at the Velodrome of the MKO Stadium, Abuja is entered a crucial stage as Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa compete for top spot of the medals table.
Secretary of the Nigeria Cycling Federation, Joel Akinluwa, during a chat in his office, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the competition so far, especially Team Nigeria in terms of medals haul by, particularly Nigeria Para Cyclists.
He said some Nigerian para cyclists who won medals rode on the cycling tracks for the first time. “My joy is that Nigerian cyclists are doing very well. For them to compete against the top three nations in Africa – South Africa, Algeria and Egypt means that our athletics are catching up. You know Olympics is two years away and with the kind of motivation and willingness by our cyclists, Nigeria will finish at the podium”.
Also, hosting the competition in Nigeria, he said, “is an advantage to us in terms of logistics and the cost in taking our cyclists to participate outside our shores. What we are doing is to expose and develop them for future competitions. So far the Federation is doing great in terms of organisation and no casualty recorded so far,” the Federation Secretary said.
Akinluwa further commended the National Sports Commission Chairman, Shehu Dikko and the DG, Bukola Olopade for their tremendous support in hosting the championship.
“The duo are wonderful administrators who are always there to give support and encourage athletes towards achieving podium finish at the world stage.”
