China’s hide and seek forces Team Nigeria Athletics to boycott World Relay Championship

…AFN seeks compensation for financial losses incurred – Chief Tonobok Okowa
…Federation request World Athletics to implement stricter host country
requirements regarding visa accessibility
By Maxwell Kumoye

As a result of the hide and seek game of the Chinese embassies in United States of America, Germany and Nigeria over the delay in issuing of visa to members of Team Nigeria to the forthcoming World Relay Championship in China, Nigeria has pulled out of the competition.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) made this known on Friday in a press statement sighted by your authoritative and award-winning news channel FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG.

The AFN said, “With deep regret we have withdrawn Team Nigeria from the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, despite visas finally being issued today —far too late for meaningful participation in the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.”

The Federation went on to state that, “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:

❌ Chinese authorities imposed visa requirements that far exceeded international sporting norms, including demands for documentation that was particularly burdensome for Nigerian nationals

❌ 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

❌ 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

❌ 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

The AFN explained that 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

A visibly sad and worried President of the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, said “Today’s last-minute visa issuance by Chinese authorities represents a
diplomatic failure that has profound sporting consequences.”

Okowa, lamented further that, “Our athletes submitted all required documentation in good faith and well in advance, yet were subjected to delays and obstacles that made their 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.”

Okowa, who is also the President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Zone II, emphasized that 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:
★ Pursue appropriate compensation for financial losses incurred
★ We request that World Athletics implement stricter host country
requirements regarding visa accessibility
★ Refocus our athletes’ preparation toward upcoming international competitions
★ We shall continue advocating for equitable treatment of Nigerian athletes in global sport

It’s imperative to state that the hide and seek game player by the Chinese embassy is not limited to members of Team Nigeria alone as they have also denied visas to Team Dominican Republic as well as four members of Zambia’s national female football team, the Shepolopolo to an international championship they hosted last month.