We supported Chierika Ukogu for Rio Olympics, says Rowing Federation

The Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF) said on Wednesday that Chierika Ukogu, who represented Nigeria in the rowing event at the Rio Olympics. received maximum support from the body, ahead of the games.
Ukogu was the first Nigerian to represent the country at the rowing women sculls event of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
The Nigeria/U.S based athlete rowed her way into the finals of the event she competed in.
“There can never be an Ukogu competing at the 2016 Olympics without the support of the Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation under Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni (rtd).
“The Federation registered her for the Olympic qualifiers in Tunisia last October, with all expenses paid.
“The president also paid her allowances for this trip as well. She didn’t pay a dime for this trip,’’ NRCSF scribe Olubumi Ola-Oluode said in reaction to social media campaigns that the athlete was abandoned ahead of the games.
It added that the Federation gave the athlete a letter of introduction to the rowing federation in the U.S., to get training support from her club to train with world-class equipment.
“Immediately she qualified, we got her an International Olympic Committee scholarship for 10 months, after which the Africa Olympics Commission also gave her a scholarship for support towards the Olympics.
“She was also sponsored on a trip to Switzerland by the Sports Ministry and she didn’t pay a dime for her ticket to the Olympics. All she has gotten has been through the federation,” the body said.
The NRCSF added that the Nigeria Olympic Committee got her a scholarship slot under the International Olympic Committee through the relentless efforts of the body.
It said that the sports ministry sponsored her to the games and paid her allowances and that of her personal trainer in full.
The federation added that she did not abandon her education to represent the country.
“She never abandoned her medical studies for any sport. She started her medical school in New York City on 14th Aug. 2016.
“She was staying in Philadelphia but has now relocated to New York for her studies,” it said.
It also said that the federation registered Ukogu for the 2015 World Cup in France and ensured that the International Rowing Federation paid her feeding and hotel expenses during the tournament.
According to the body, the campaign on social media about the purported abandonment of the athlete is an attempt to ridicule the federation’s relentless support for Ukogu all through.
The decision of the federation to set the records straight was not an attempt to downplay the effort of Ukogu, the Federation added.