The hopes of Nigeria’s promising gymnast, Stephanie Onusiriuka, to participate and win more medals in the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF) may be all over after she was found to have been registered by two states.
It was gathered that the 12-year-old athlete was registered by both the host state, Delta and Anambra state respectively for the festival.
According to her coach, Tony Asuquo, the news of her impending disqualification came in on Monday night but expressed concern that she was registered to represent Anambra without his knowledge as the coach.
“We got the news on Monday night that she will be disqualified. She has already won two gold medals. I believe she has done nothing wrong for her to be disqualified but I believe it’s an administrative error.
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Nigeria’s teen gymnastics sensation, Stephanie, in trouble for double registration
“She was registered in two different states. She represented Anambra last festival in Edo and she was registered again by the state for this edition without my knowledge. The rules say one cannot be registered in two states.
“We plead with the Minister of sports to look into this so as not jeopardise her chances. She was most likely registered by someone from Anambra without my knowledge,” he said.
Meanwhile efforts to speak to Stephanie proved abortive as her mother stopped her from speaking to our correspondent.
The mother who also acts as her coach, Mrs Amaka Onusiriuka also declined to speak on the controversy.
The young gymnast had won many silver and bronze medals in the 2019 National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State, becoming Nigeria’s youngest gymnastics medalist.
It will be recalled that Stephanie also won gold medal at the Africa Gymnastics championships in Pretoria, South Africa and received huge commendation from the minister of sports, Sunday Dare.
She is hoping to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games, which are scheduled to take place in France.
As a matter of fact, if not for her age, she could have represented Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
