Nigeria will begin its pursuit of qualification for the 2026 World Relays at the MTN Champs Athletics Classic in Calabar on Friday (today).
The three-day competition, which started on Thursday and runs until Saturday, will feature international relay contests between Nigeria and Ethiopia as both nations attempt to secure qualifying marks for the World Relays scheduled for May 2–3, 2026, in Gaborone, Botswana.
Read Also: National Sports Commission to Use 3rd National Para Games to Celebrate Inclusivity and Build the Future Para Sports Success
Organisers confirmed that the two countries will compete in the mixed, men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, with the races serving as part of the qualification process before the April 5 deadline.
According to the organisers, Making of Champions, the Calabar event marks the first time an East African nation will participate in the MTN Champs series, adding an international dimension to the competition.
“For the first time at MTN Champs, an East African country is taking part in this competition. Ethiopia is in Calabar to compete in the continental relays, chasing qualification for the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
They will be competing in the mixed 4x400m, men’s and women’s 4x400m, as well as the individual 400m,” the organisers said in a statement.
The mixed 4x400m relay is scheduled for Friday, while the men’s and women’s 4x400m finals will take place on Saturday.
Although Nigeria’s relay teams are yet to be officially announced, several quarter-milers are already entered in the individual 400m events at the meet.
They include Patience Okon-George, Anita Enurana, Toheebat Jimoh, Ezekiel Asuquo, Emmanuel Ojeli, Gafar Badmus, and Victor Sampson.
Ethiopia have also begun competing in the individual races, with Merdekiyos Wolde Wachiso winning Heat 3 of the men’s 400m on Thursday with a time of 47.20 seconds.
The Calabar competition serves as the opening leg of Season Four of the MTN Champs series, which will play a key role in Nigeria’s preparations for the global event.
The series will continue with the Continental Relays in Jos from March 26 to 28 before concluding with the grand finale in Ibadan from April 15 to 18.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has earlier indicated that both the Calabar and Jos legs will provide vital opportunities for Nigerian relay teams to secure qualification for the World Relays.
The 2026 World Relays will feature six events: the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays, men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, and the mixed 4x100m and mixed 4x400m relays.
Teams that finished in the top eight of each relay event at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo have already secured automatic qualification for the competition in Gaborone, while the remaining places will be determined through global rankings.
A maximum of 24 teams will compete in each event, with host nation Botswana automatically qualified in all races.
Beyond medals, the World Relays will also serve as a pathway for teams aiming to qualify for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the 2027
World Athletics Championships in Beijing, adding further significance to Nigeria’s qualification campaign starting in Calabar.
.){kind=link}