The planned meeting takes place in Guangzhou, China, which took place this weekend shortly after Nigeria’s unexpected withdrawal from the World Athletics Relay.
After Nigeria’s unexpected withdrawal from World Athletics in 2025, the relay in Guangzhou, China, broke the silence of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria over a visa controversy that Team Nigeria had failed to travel.
In an exclusive interview with Premium Times, Yang Jianxing, a cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, provided a detailed description of the event and highlighted the embassy’s commitment to solving the issue amicably.
Yang said he is planning a meeting with the National Sports Commission (NSC) to discuss the issue of visas that the embassy has frustrated the participation of the delegation.
“Next week we’ll be meeting with staff from the National Sports Committee to talk about this. We’ll explain everything we did and ensure that such unfortunate outcomes never happen again,” Yang said.
A central issue in the controversy is the conflicting timeline provided by the Nigerian Athletics Federation (AFN) regarding the submission of visa applications.
Tight timeline
Yang said that after the Nigerian delegation submitted all necessary documents, the Chinese embassy acted quickly within procedural constraints, but the application was delayed and the time available for processing was very limited.
“It usually takes at least five business days to process and inspect your visa application,” he explained. “Unfortunately, we lost valuable processing time due to the May holiday from May 1st to 5th.”
Yang initially intended to travel by nine members of the Nigerian delegation, but after reviewing the documents, only seven people have a complete and acceptable application.
He said that despite the embassy’s shortened timeline, the seven-person visas were approved and issued on the evening of May 8, hours before the team’s scheduled flight.
“We released our visa at 5:10pm, but their flight was around 9pm. “The times were very tight, but we did everything we could to track the process quickly.”
Yang further revealed that the submission of the delay significantly constrains the embassy’s ability to process applications on time.
“The Bureau would need five days, but we did our best to help with shorter inspection times. If the documents arrived before May Day holidays, things would have been different,” he added.
However, the story appears in opposition to the official AFN statement.
According to the federal report, preparations for visa applications began early in February.
“In spite of the processing documents of hard work since February, our athletes faced many obstacles, from embassy embarrassment to last-minute visa issues that made competitive attendees physically impossible,” AFN said.
Overall, nine visa applicants (comprising athletes and officials) were unable to obtain visas early, making it impossible for foreign Nigerian athletes to have likely organized Chinese travel documents from the base. The event is a relay race, and therefore the decision to withdraw Nigeria was necessary as all members of the team are required for effective participation.
There are no criticism games
Yang emphasized that both the Chinese side and the Nigerian delegation did their best and he refrained from assigning responsibility.
“I don’t want to blame anyone,” he said. “The total time was too short. Everyone tried their best, including the staff at the embassy and Nigerian officials.”
He also expressed deep disappointment at the outcome, describing the missed opportunity as “very sad” for both countries.
“The Guangzhou World Relay was an incredible opportunity for athletes in Nigeria and Africa. I think they achieved great results,” Yang said.
Commitment to stronger collaboration
Mr. Yang expressed the embassy’s commitment to fostering close ties with Nigerian sports authorities in the future.
He said clearer communication and previous preparations are important to avoid similar incidents in the future.
“We want to improve communication and coordination in the future. A better exchange of information on both sides will help us avoid this kind of issue in the future. From next time, we hope to ensure that Nigerian teams can travel smoothly to China for sports and cultural exchange,” he said.
Afn expresses his anger
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Athletics Federation (AFN) responded strongly to the incident.
In an official statement, the federation expressed “deep regret” about the country’s withdrawal, calling it a “devastating blow” to Nigerian athletes who had been training vigorously for months to prepare for the event.
The federation noted that the outcome of the withdrawal is widespread. Not only has Nigeria lost an important opportunity to secure early Olympic qualifications for the relay, but athletes have also endured financial losses and psychological stress.
“The impact was serious. We had wasted training preparation, significant financial losses, lost qualified opportunities, and catastrophic psychological impact on athletes who were prepared to proudly represent Nigeria,” the statement read.
Nigerian team appointed
About two weeks ago, AFN announced the teams selected for the World Relays, confirming that they will compete in six relay categories, including four out of six relay categories, men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x100m, 4x100m, and 4x400m.
Among them was Tobiamsan, the world record holder for the 100m hurdle, American university sprint sensation preferred Ash and former U-20 world champion Udodi Onuzerike.
Amusan and favours were expected to provide important experience and leadership in mixed 4x100m relays with women.
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The men’s 4x100m team included Alaba Akintra, Carlington Anunagba, Oraoye Forawillo, usheoritse itsekiri, and Ash and Ondoujurique, whose speed and baton exchange were impressed by previous competition.
The women’s squad featured the successes of Amsan, Ofili, Rosemary Chukhuma, Justina Erkpobeyan, Obi Jennifer Chukhuka and Muukoro.
At the mixed 4x100m, Nigeria combined the explosive paces of Akintra, Ash, Onfiri and Chukuma to make the dynamic contribution of Onuzurike and Umkoro.
The mixed 4x400m team saw 400m veterans Chidi Okesy and Ifani Ojeri return Samson Nathaniel, praise, Idamadudu, Patience, Ocon George and Omorala Ogunmaquinu.
Next Steps
AFN is currently hoping to engage in athletics around the world ahead of the Olympics to explore alternative qualification routes for affected teams. The National Sports Commission also seeks to explore other plausible options.
The permanent visas faced by Nigerian teams are again bringing the spotlight to this latest incident while they are trying to take part in the international competition.
From athletics to basketball and even soccer, a variety of national teams have missed the tournament due to delays in securing visas and rejections.
This latest set-off highlights the urgent need for better diplomatic coordination, early logistics planning, and more equitable visa protocols in global sports.
