Claims that the Chinese Embassy postponed the visas of Nigerian athletes who intended to compete in the Guangzhou, China, 2025 World Athletics Relays have been refuted.
China blames a miscommunication about visa processing schedules for the development.
The team had already withdrawn from the competition, which was set to take place from May 10 to 11, 2025, citing Chinese officials’ difficulties in issuing visas.
The Chinese Embassy, however, apologized for the athletes’ absence in a statement released in Abuja, but insisted that it had responded quickly and effectively to the Nigerian National Sports Commission’s request for assistance.
The National Sports Commission of Nigeria sent a letter to the Embassy on April 24 (dated April 22) asking for help obtaining visas for Nigerian athletes to compete in the tournament in China, according to the statement. In order to speed up the visa application process, the Embassy contacted the commission right away and gave it instructions on how to prepare the necessary documents.
Read Also: Tragedy as Final-Year Nursing Student Found Dead in Boyfriend’s Room
The pertinent application materials that the Nigerian athletes provided were received by the China Visa Application Center on May 6. The Embassy expedited the process right away, gave the Nigerian applicants the best support possible, and finished issuing the visas on May 8.
The Embassy reaffirmed its dedication to promoting bilateral collaboration in sports and interpersonal interactions.
In accordance with international standards, it stated that the issuance of visas is contingent upon national sovereignty and necessitates appropriate documents and fair turnaround times.
According to the statement, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has consistently encouraged people-to-people and sports cooperation between the two nations, welcomed Nigerian athletes to compete in Chinese events, and provided effective and courteous assistance to Nigerian nationals applying for visas.
Additionally, it should be mentioned that issuing visas is a question of national sovereignty and that all foreign embassies need applicants to supply the necessary paperwork and resources in addition to giving themselves enough time to complete the application process.
“The AFN’s statement is obviously at odds with the facts, and we regret that the Nigerian athletes were unable to compete in the event in China this time.”
The Embassy reaffirmed its commitment to promote future sports collaborations between China and Nigeria, while also expressing dissatisfaction over the athletes’ non-participation and characterizing the AFN’s accusations as unsupported by the facts.
