In a surprising turn of events at the Paris Olympics, the Nigeria women’s basketball team was prevented from boarding the delegation’s boat for the opening ceremony, according to a source familiar with the situation. The source, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, revealed that the Nigerian delegation has yet to make an official comment on the matter.

The incident occurred when the team arrived at the designated boarding area for the ceremony. A Nigerian official reportedly informed the players and coaches that there were too many people on board, denying them entry. As a result, the team made its way to the athletes’ village, while the rest of the Nigerian delegation shared a boat with the delegations from Niger and Norway.

Efforts to reach a Nigeria press officer for comment have so far been unsuccessful.

Prior to this incident, the team had been provided with logistics for the event. They made the 2-hour, 28-minute, 138-mile (222 km) journey as part of a bus caravan consisting of several teams from Lille, where the preliminary basketball rounds are being held. The buses were escorted by police.

Due to the unexpected turn of events, the team could not make it back to the departure location for the buses after the opening ceremonies. Consequently, they spent the night in Paris, missing their scheduled morning practice session in Lille.

Nigeria, participating in its third Olympics, is set to play against Australia on Monday. The team made history in the 2004 Athens Games by securing the only win in Olympic history for an African nation when they triumphed over Korea in the 11th-place contest.

The situation remains under scrutiny as the Nigerian delegation has not yet released an official statement.

Credit: Associated Press