Nigeria’s athletes enjoyed a memorable weekend across athletics, wrestling and football, combining record-breaking runs, dominant wins and important victories to show growing strength on the international stage.
The biggest highlight came at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, where Nigeria’s young mixed 4x100m relay team powered into the final with an impressive performance.
The team of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Thompson clocked 40.24 seconds, setting a new African record.
Their effort also secured Nigeria a place at the 2027 World Athletics Championships in China, a major achievement for a team made up largely of home-based athletes.
The race itself was of a very high standard, with Canada winning in a world record time of 40.07 seconds. Germany followed in 40.15 seconds, while the Netherlands finished third in 40.20 seconds, showing the level Nigeria competed against.
However, it was not all smooth for Team Nigeria in Gaborone. The country missed out on qualification in four other relay events, partly due to the absence of key athletes like Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna.
There is still hope, as Nigeria will compete in last-chance qualifying races in the men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m events.
Wrestling victories
In wrestling, Nigeria continued its strong tradition at the African Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, where the women’s team won the overall title for a record 15th time.
The team won eight gold and two silver medals across 10 events, once again proving they are the best in Africa. Among the top performers were Mercy Genesis, Adijat Idris and Esther Asaolu, while Odunayo Adekuoroye sealed the campaign with a strong win.
In the men’s category, Harrison Onovwiomogbhwo stood out with a big win over Egypt’s Mohamed Mostafa, beating him 10–4 to claim gold. His performance helped Nigeria finish third overall in the men’s standings.
Falconets fly in Ikenne
On the football side, Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, also delivered a strong result. They beat Malawi 2–0 in the first leg of their final qualifying round for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Ikenne-Remo.
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The win gives Nigeria a good advantage going into the second leg, as the team aims to keep its record of qualifying for every edition of the tournament since 2002.
Overall, it was a very positive weekend for Nigerian sports. The relay team’s record run in Gaborone stood out, but the success in wrestling and the Falconets’ victory also showed the depth of talent across different sports.
With more events ahead, Nigeria’s athletes will be hoping to build on these results and continue making the country proud on the global stage.