–AFN reaffirms unwavering
commitment to Nigerian athletes
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announces with deep regret the
withdrawal of Team Nigeria from the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou,China, despite visas finally being issued today—far too late for meaningful
participation in the competition. This last-minute issuance, occurring on the very day our team was scheduled to arrive in Guangzhou, renders
participation logistically impossible and demonstrates a fundamental
failure of Chinese administrative processes.
CHINESE VISA PROCESS FAILURES:
The AFN highlights the following specific failures by Chinese authorities that have directly resulted in Team Nigeria’s inability to participate:
Excessive and Discriminatory Requirements: Chinese authorities imposed visa requirements that far exceeded international sporting norms, including demands for documentation that was particularly burdensome for Nigeriannationals.Deliberate Processing Delays: Despite our team submitting passport
applications at Chinese Embassies in Washington DC, Berlin, and Abuja
early enough before the competition—Chinese authorities delayed
processing without reasonable explanation.
Verification Letter Confusion: The Chinese visa system’s requirement for a special “Verification Letter of Invitation” was poorly communicated and
inconsistently applied, with LOC officials themselves unclear about their
own procedures.
Inexplicable Final Delay: Even after all documentation was finally accepted
as complete, Chinese authorities held the applications for additional days
without justification, only to issue the visas on May 8—the very day the team needed to be in China.
IMPACT OF VISA DELAYS
The last-minute visa issuance has resulted in:
Physical impossibility of reaching competition venues in time for key
events
Wasted training preparations specifically tailored for this competition
Significant financial losses in airfare, accommodation, and logistics
Loss of crucial qualification opportunities
Psychological impact on athletes who were prepared to compete
STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT
“Today’s last-minute visa issuance by Chinese authorities represents a
diplomatic failure that has profound sporting consequences. Our athletes
submitted all required documentation in good faith and well in advance,
yet were subjected to delays and obstacles that made participation impossible.
The timing of this visa issuance—on the very day our team was scheduled to arrive in China—can only be interpreted as either gross administrative
incompetence or a deliberate attempt to exclude Nigerian athletes from the World Relays.
While we acknowledge that visas have finally been issued, this action comes far too late to be meaningful. The 48+ hours of travel time required
to reach Guangzhou from our athletes’ current locations would result in arrival after key events have concluded. This is not a viable competitive
scenario for athletes who have trained years for this opportunity.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has fulfilled every reasonable obligation
and our athletes have met every qualification standard. The responsibility for this situation rests entirely with Chinese authorities whose visa
processes have failed to support the international sporting community.
We call on World Athletics to review host country selection criteria to ensure future competitions are held in nations with visa processes that
truly support global participation.”
AFN’S COMMITMENT TO ATHLETES
Despite this significant setback, the AFN reaffirms its unwavering
commitment to Nigerian athletes and will:
1. Pursue appropriate compensation for financial losses incurred
2. Request that World Athletics implement stricter host country
requirements regarding visa accessibility
3. Refocus our athletes’ preparation toward upcoming international
4. competitions
4. Continue advocating for equitable treatment of Nigerian athletes in
global sport
