Team Nigeria national athletics team concluded their campaign at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on Sunday with a mix of strong performances and narrow misses, ultimately securing qualification for multiple global championships.
Nigeria ended the competition with two additional tickets to the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, alongside a qualification for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship scheduled for Budapest in September.
The standout performance came in the mixed 4x400m relay, where the quartet of Samson Nathaniel, Mary Kudoro, Chidi Okezie, and Patience Okon George delivered a season’s best of 3:12.88. Despite finishing second behind South Africa, their effort was enough to secure a World Championships berth after a closely contested race decided on the final straight.
In the women’s 4x100m repechage, Rosemary Nwankwo, Obi Chukwuka, Maria Thompson Omokwe, and Miracle Ezechukwu bounced back from earlier baton exce issues to run a season’s best of 42.94 seconds. They finished second behind France, sealing another qualification spot for Beijing.
However, the men’s 4x100m team narrowly missed out after finishing third in their repechage heat with a time of 38.50 seconds. The quartet of Favour Ashe, James Emmanuel, Tejiri Godwin, and Chidera Ezeakor could not overcome strong opposition from Belgium and Jamaica.
Similarly, the men’s 4x400m relay team missed qualification by fractions of a second despite a strong combined effort from Gafar Badmus, Emmanuel Ojeli, Victor Ime, and Ezekiel Asuquo, finishing just outside the qualifying positions in a tightly contested race.
The women’s 4x400m team did not start their repechage event, concluding Nigeria’s participation in the discipline.
Despite mixed fortunes, Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay team had earlier secured qualification for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest after finishing among the top teams in their final race, which was won by Jamaica in a world record time of 39.62 seconds.
Overall, Nigeria’s performance reflected both progress and missed opportunities, but still ensured representation at major global athletics competitions in the coming year.
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