Nigeria Confronts Elite Field in World Relays Opener as Qualification Battle Begins in Gaborone …President Tinubu Rallies Team Ahead of Crucial Heats
Oru Leonard
The 8th edition of the World Athletics Relays Championship gets underway today at the National Stadium Gaborone, bringing together 743 athletes from 40 countries in a high-stakes contest for global relay supremacy.
Team Nigeria enters the competition facing formidable opposition in the opening heats, where qualification for major international championships will be fiercely contested.
The mixed 4x400m relay, scheduled for the afternoon session on Day One, presents an immediate test. Nigeria has been drawn in a highly competitive heat alongside top nations including the Netherlands, Jamaica, Poland, China, Japan, and Canada.
With only the top two teams in each heat and the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers advancing, the margin for error is minimal.
The Netherlands lead the field with a remarkable personal best of 3:07.43 recorded at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while Poland (3:09.43) and Jamaica (3:11.06) add further depth to an already stacked lineup.
Nigeria, boasting a personal best of 3:11.99 and a season’s best of 3:16.13, will depend on a blend of seasoned campaigners and emerging talents. Athletes such as Chidi Okezie, Ezekiel Asuquo, Gafari Badmus, Victor Ime, Samson Nathaniel, and Emmanuel Ojeli are expected to feature prominently in the men’s squad.
On the women’s side, Patience Okon-George leads a dynamic group that includes Anita Enaruna, Toheebat Jimoh, Taiwo Kudoro, Jecinta Lawrence, and Esther Okon.
In the men’s 4x100m relay, Nigeria faces another stern challenge in Heat Three against India, Poland, Brazil, China, South Africa, Ghana, and Great Britain & Northern Ireland.
Led by Enoch Adegoke and Favour Ashe, the Nigerian team will rely on speed and precision to secure one of the limited qualification spots. Other squad members expected to feature include James Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeakor, and Tejire Godwin.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland lead the heat on paper with 37.36s, followed by South Africa (37.57s) and Brazil (37.72s), while Nigeria’s 37.94s keeps them within striking distance.
Defending champions South Africa headline a competitive field that also includes Olympic silver medallists, ensuring a fiercely contested race for qualification.
Globally, the United States national track and field team are once again tipped to set the pace, with strong challenges expected from Canada and Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged Team Nigeria to rise to the occasion. The message, delivered by the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, emphasized pride, determination, and national duty.
Olopade underscored the importance of the relays to Nigeria’s sporting identity and urged the athletes to seize the opportunity, noting that the championship serves as a crucial qualifier for future global competitions.
Nigeria is competing across all six relay events and will be aiming to improve on its modest record at the championships, which includes a bronze medal in 2014 and a gold in 2015.
With qualification spots for upcoming world events, including the 2027 World Championships and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on the line, Team Nigeria faces a daunting but defining challenge on the global stage.
The statement is signed by Maxwell Kumoye Chairman, Media Committee
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)
02/04/2026.
