Seven top Nigerian athletes—most U.S.-based—have been denied Chinese visas, blocking them from the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou. Officials suggest geopolitics, not sportsmanship, is to blame.
- Chinese consulate in Nigeria denied visas to U.S.-based Nigerian athletes despite early applications.
- The NSC links the decision to China’s “hard policies” toward the U.S., not athlete credentials.
- Nigeria’s relay teams now face disqualification risks from the Paris 2024 Olympic pathway.
- Tobi Amusan, world record holder and Olympic hopeful, was among those barred. “We did everything right,” an official said. But for these athletes, training isn’t enough when politics rewrites the rules mid-race.
If athletes become collateral in global rivalries, who protects the sport? Can international bodies shield competition from geopolitics—or has neutrality already been lost?
