The Athletics Federation of Nigeria is in a logistical rush to meet up with their counterparts after weeks of waiting for Nigerian officials and athletes to receive visas for the 2025 World Relays, which start on Saturday in Guangzhou, China.
A top source at the National Sports Commission confirmed that the visas were approved after hopes of participation in the two-day event were initially dashed.
“The visas have been approved, and all passports are with the AFN. The question now is how they get there in time for the competition,” the official queried.
The World Relays will also serve as an avenue to qualify for the 2025 World Championships, which will be held later this year in Tokyo.
Team Nigeria will compete in four events at the two-day event, and the AFN has named a strong contingent for the men’s 4×100m, women’s 4×100m, 4×400m mixed relay and the newly introduced 4×100m mixed relay.
Top of the list are women’s 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan and Paris 2024 Olympics 200m finalist Favour Ofili. Amusan and Ofili are joined by Rosemary Chukwuma, Tiana Eyakpobeyan, Success Umukoro and Jennifer Chukwuka Obi for the women’s 4x100m.
The AFN says it is targeting qualification for the World Championships via the World Relays.
“We are participating in these four relays because those are the events we can challenge for. We do not want to go and just participate in world relays, but to qualify for the world championships. These are the best events that we could compete in,” Technical Director Samuel Onikeku said after the contingent was named.
It’s not the first time Nigeria has been affected by visa issues for World Athletics events this year.
In March, Nigeria’s contingent to the World Relays in Nanjing, China, was also depleted by the same issues, leaving only shot put thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi as Nigeria’s only athlete at the event.
Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, exonerated the AFN and the NSC from the mishap in a statement before the visas were granted.
“AFN did everything correctly and at the right time. NSC approved funds since February/March. World Athletics has failed in its responsibilities to get the host country to make visas easily available to athletes and officials. The Chinese and Guangzhou provinces, due to their harsh policies against the USA, have failed to give visas to seven of our US-based athletes,” Olopade’s statement read in part.
Nigeria also missed the 2021 World Relays in Poland over visa issues.
