Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will not defend his men’s shot put title at the 2026 CAA African Championships in Ghana after withdrawing from Nigeria’s contingent ahead of the competition.
The absence of the three-time African champion was confirmed on Monday, barely 24 hours before the championship begins at the University of Ghana Sports Complex, where Africa’s biggest athletics event will run from 12 to 17 May.
Enekwechi’s withdrawal represents a significant setback for Team Nigeria, particularly in the field events, where the country was already facing major absences.
Nigeria will now head into the shot put events with a much leaner squad following the earlier absence of women’s African shot put record holder Jessica Oji.
There is also another blow for the Nigerian contingent, with national decathlon record holder Jami Schlueter unable to travel to Ghana due to visa complications.
The latest developments were first revealed by Making of Champions journalist Christopher Maduewesi on X.
“Another withdrawal for Nigeria — Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will not be participating at the 2026 African Championships in Ghana. Big Chuks will not be defending the title he won three consecutive times. Emmanuel Audu and Divine Oladipo will represent Nigeria in the shot put events in Accra,” Maduewesi posted on Monday.
He also confirmed a late adjustment to Nigeria’s sprint squad.
“Osama Chibueze is a late addition to the Nigerian team – I understand he is a late replacement for Enoch Adegoke, who hasn’t made a full recovery from his injury.”
Enoch Adegoke had earlier missed the World Relays in Botswana after suffering an injury setback.
Enekwechi’s withdrawal comes as a surprise, given his recent participation at the Simbine Classic in South Africa, where he remained active on the international circuit ahead of the continental championship.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to confirm the exact reason behind the 33-year-old’s withdrawal were unsuccessful, with officials and coaches of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria unreachable.
The Nigerian star arrived at the championships as one of Africa’s most accomplished field athletes and a dominant force in the men’s shot put over the past several years.
Enekwechi has won the last three editions of the African Championships since making his debut at the 2018 championships in Asaba, firmly establishing himself as the continent’s leading thrower.
His season’s best throw currently stands at 21.74m, a mark that earned him second place at the prestigious Drake Relays on 24 April.
Earlier this season, however, he delivered a relatively modest outing at the World Indoor Championships, finishing 11th in the men’s shot put final with a best throw of 20.04m in a field containing 17 athletes.
Despite that performance, Enekwechi remains one of the most accomplished athletes in African athletics history.
Last year, he became the first African athlete ever to surpass the 22-metre barrier in the men’s shot put, a landmark achievement that elevated him into elite global company.
The Nigerian also owns seven of the top 10 throws in African shot put history following his groundbreaking performance at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, where he shattered the African record with a massive throw of 22.10m to finish third against some of the world’s best throwers.
With Enekwechi now unavailable, Nigeria’s hopes in the men’s shot put will rest on Emmanuel Audu and Divine Oladipo as the country looks to maintain its strong tradition at the African Championships despite several late setbacks.