Nigeria will begin their pursuit of qualification for the 2026 World Relays at the MTN Champs Athletics Classic in Calabar on Friday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The competition, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, will feature international relay races between Nigeria and Ethiopia, with both nations aiming to secure qualifying marks for the World Relays scheduled for May 2 to 3 in Gaborone, Botswana.
Organisers announced on Thursday that the two countries will contest the mixed, men’s and women’s 4x400m relays as part of efforts to earn places for the global event, with the qualification window remaining open until April 5.
According to Making of Champions, the Calabar meeting marks the first time an East African country will participate in the MTN Champs competition, adding an international dimension to the domestic athletics series.
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 qualifications for the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana. They will be competing in the mixed 400m, men’s and women’s 4x400m, and the flat 400m,” the organisers said in a statement on X.
The mixed 4x400m relay is scheduled to take place on Friday, while the men’s and women’s 4x400m finals will conclude the meet on Saturday.
While the relay teams for Nigeria are yet to be announced, several Nigerian quarter-milers are already entered for the individual 400m events in Calabar, including Patience Okon-George, Anita Enurana, Toheebat Jimoh, Ezekiel Asuquo, Emmanuel Ojeli, Gafar Badmus and Victor Sampson.
Ethiopia have also begun competition in the individual events, with Merdekiyos Wolde Wachiso winning heat 3 of the men’s 400m in a time of 47.20s on Thursday.
The Calabar meet forms the opening leg of Season four of the MTN Champs series and is expected to play a crucial role in Nigeria’s preparation for the World Relays. 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 previously indicated that the Calabar and Jos legs will serve as important opportunities for the country’s relay teams to secure qualification.
Making of Champions confirmed the federation’s plan during the launch of the season in mid February, noting that both competitions would play a key role in Nigeria’s preparations for the global event.
The 2026 World Relays programme will feature six events: the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays, the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, as well as 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 filled through the global rankings. A maximum of 24 teams will compete in each event, with host nation Botswana automatically entered in all races.
Beyond the race for medals, the World Relays will also serve as a pathway for teams seeking qualification 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 beginning in Calabar.
By: Olamide Abe
