2026 Commonwealth Games: Ajayi, Chukwuma, Ogundiran Drawn Bye into Semis as Ashe Starts Team Nigeria Athletics Campaign
Kanyinsola Ajayi, Rosemary Chukwuma and Blessing Ogundiran are set to begin their respective 100m campaigns from the semifinal stage of the ongoing 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, after their names were conspicuously absent from the first-round start lists.
The trio were not listed in any of the 11 men’s or eight women’s first-round heats released for the event.
Sportsnow.com.ng cannot independently confirm the reason for their absence, but several other top athletes registered for the 100m events also do not appear in the first-round line-ups, suggesting they may have received byes into the semifinals.
Among the other prominent athletes missing from the first round are South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, Kenya’s defending Commonwealth 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala, Canada’s Jerome Blake and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy in the men’s event.
In the women’s 100m, British Virgin Islands star Adaejah Hodge, who has run a world-leading 10.63 seconds this year, is also among those not listed in the first round, alongside Jamaican duo Jonielle Smith and Jordean Williams.
Meanwhile, reigning Nigerian 100m champion Favour Ashe will start Team Nigeria’s track and field campaign when athletics action begins on Monday morning at the Commonwealth Games.
Ashe is scheduled to compete in the opening heat of the men’s 100m first round at 10:10 a.m., with fellow Nigerian Adekalu Fakorede also drawn to compete in the preliminary round.
However, the number of athletes expected to qualify from each heat for the semifinals has yet to be officially stated.
The men’s 100m semifinals are scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday.
In the women’s event, Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu is the only Nigerian listed in the first round. She has been drawn in lane seven of the eighth and final heat.
With several leading contenders apparently beginning their campaigns at the semifinal stage, Team Nigeria’s sprint hopes will be closely watched as the country’s athletics medal campaign gets underway in Glasgow.
