Nigeria banks on Favour, Adegoke, Rosemary as World Relays open Saturday
Nigeria will look to its blend of experienced stars and emerging talents as the 2026 World Athletics Relays begins in Gaborone, Botswana, on Saturday, with the country targeting qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. A 24-man contingent will represent Nigeria at the two-day competition scheduled for May 2 to 3, competing in […]
Nigeria will look to its blend of experienced stars and emerging talents as the 2026 World Athletics Relays begins in Gaborone, Botswana, on Saturday, with the country targeting qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
A 24-man contingent will represent Nigeria at the two-day competition scheduled for May 2 to 3, competing in all six relay events. The team departed Nigeria on Monday aboard Ethiopian Airlines, while some foreign-based athletes are expected to link up directly from their international training bases.
Among the biggest talking points in the Nigerian squad is the inclusion of sprint star Favour Ashe in the men’s 4x100m relay team. Ashe, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, returns to national duty after months of speculation linking him with a possible allegiance switch to Qatar.
The 23-year-old headlines a strong sprint team that also features Enoch Adegoke, who reached the final of the men’s 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, alongside James Taiwo Emmanuel and Chidera Ezeakor.
Nigeria’s 4x400m ambitions will be boosted by the presence of Chidi Okezie, the All-African Games gold medallist, who is expected to compete in both the men’s and mixed relay events together with Emmanuel Ojeli and Sikiru Adeyemi.
In the women’s category, Nigeria will rely heavily on the speed of Blessing Ogundiran, currently the joint fastest woman in the world this year after clocking an impressive 10.98 seconds in the 100m last weekend.
She will team up with Rosemary Chukwuma, Rosemary Nwankwo and Miracle Ezechukwu in the women’s 4x100m relay.
Veteran quarter-miler Patience Okon George is also expected to anchor Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay squad, which includes fast-rising NCAA athlete Anita Enaruna of Arizona State University.
Nigeria has enjoyed modest success in the history of the World Relays, winning bronze at the inaugural edition in 2014 before securing gold in the women’s 4x200m event in 2015 through the quartet of Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominique Duncan and Christy Udoh.
The team will be eager to make up for missing the 2025 edition in Guangzhou, China, due to visa complications, as they seek to re-establish Nigeria among the world’s leading relay nations.
Team Nigeria contingent
4×100 Men
Enoch Adegoke
Favour Ashe
James Taiwo Emmanuel
Chidera Ezeakor
Tejire Godwin
4×400m Men
Ezekiel Enoh Azukwo
Gafari Badmus
Victor Ime
Samson Nathaniel
Emmanuel Ojeli
Chidi Okezie
4×100m Women
Jenifer Chukwuka
Rosemary Chukwuma
Miracle Ezechukwu
Rosemary Nwankwo
Blessing Ogundiran
Maria Thompson Omokwe
4×400m Women
Anita Enaruna
Patience Okon George
Toheebat Jimoh
Taiwo Mary Kudoro
Jecinta Lawrence
Esther Okon
4×100m Mixed
Enoch Adegoke
Rosemary Chukwuma
James Taiwo Emmanuel
Chidera Ezeakor
Miracle Ezechukwu
Blessing Ogundiran
4×400m Mixed
Sekiru Adewale Adeyemi
Anita Enaruna
Patience Okon George
Toheebat Jimoh
Emmanuel Ojeli Chidi Okezie