Nigeria: African athletes stranded in Lagos ahead of Athletics Championship

Hundreds of athletes scheduled to participate at the African Senior Athletics Championships are crying foul after being stranded at the Lagos Airport in Nigeria.

Usher Komugisha, a renown sports journalist from Uganda tweeted pictures of a stranded Ugandan team and a video of a Moroccan high jumper, who were lamenting that they have been stranded in Lagos for at least two days.

‘‘Nigeria has done a very POOR job with the organization of flights! Look at Team Uganda,’‘ Komugisha tweeted.

Chaos in Nigeria ??!

Over 300 athletes from 20 countries stuck at Lagos Airport & don’t know when they’ll head to Asaba for the African Senior Athletics Championships.

Nigeria has done a very POOR job with the organization of flights! Look at Team Uganda ??! #Asaba2018 pic.twitter.com/u6VccK7jLh

— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) 31 juillet 2018

Zimbabwean Athletes are also part of this 300 that were stuck at Lagos Airport sabetachichi hasachilli SportBriefZW Connmwanawashe https://t.co/j40LE6UHgG

— #SportsFanatic⚽?⛳? (@taytbells) 31 juillet 2018

Shame on you Nigeria for playing Dirty tricks on African athletes who have been stranded in Lagos for more than 2 days ahead of the Africa Senior Athletics Championship. This is so sad and major investigations should be carried out by the IAA. #aSABA2018 pic.twitter.com/CxjCv7YV7F

— The President ?????? (@Ugaman01) 31 juillet 2018

‘‘We made it to Lagos two nights ago. We slept the first night at the airport and the second night at the hotel. They claimed that we had a flight coming today, but we have spent the whole day at the airport,’‘ said Rhizlane Siba, a Moroccan high jumper.

‘‘We are stranded in Lagos. We haven’t trained for three days, and we haven’t eaten properly in two days,’‘ Rhizlane added.

Moroccan ?? high jumper Rhizlanesiba96 laments their ordeal - spending a night at the airport, another at the hotel and a whole day at the airport again! ??‍♀️

Nigeria ?? needs to sort this mess ASAP! This is the biggest athletics event in Africa. C’mon! #Asaba2018 pic.twitter.com/Bgr9ygbDOA

— Usher Komugisha (UsherKomugisha) 31 juillet 2018

Our efforts to reach the organisers were futile.

The championship, hosted in the southern Delta State kicks off on Wednesday with the men’s and women’s decathlons. This year’s edition features athletes from 52 countries including global icons like South Africa’s Caster Semenya.

South Africa are the defending champions of the African Senior Athletics having hosted and won the last edition on home soil in Durban.

On Monday, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship, Solomon Ogba told journalists that the ‘few places still being perfected’ will be ready ahead of the August 1 opening ceremony at the newly completed Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Photo credit: Usher Komugisha