Adegoke to Join Team Nigeria in Botswana for Crucial Relay Qualifiers
Tokyo Olympics 100m finalist, Enoch Adegoke, will fly directly from Germany to Gaborone, Botswana, to join Team Nigeria ahead of the Lefika International Relays.
The rest of the team departed Lagos on Wednesday aboard Ethiopian Airlines, as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) intensifies efforts to secure qualification slots for this year’s World Relays.
Adegoke is expected to lead Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m team, which must run faster than the 38.73 seconds posted by Colombia in December 2025 to claim the 24th and final qualifying spot.
Nigeria’s current best within the qualifying window stands at 39.52 seconds, achieved at the Islamic Games in Riyadh last November.
Nigeria will also compete in the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, as well as the mixed 4x400m.
The men’s 4x400m team, with a best of 3:03.66, needs to better Zimbabwe’s 3:03.42 mark, while the mixed relay team is aiming to beat Vietnam’s 3:15.07 after clocking 3:15.63 in Accra last March.
AFN Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, expressed optimism about Nigeria’s chances, emphasizing the importance of blending home-based athletes with those competing abroad.
‘We need to build a strong mix of athletes at home and overseas. Together, they can strengthen the team and deliver better results,’ Okon said.
He added that the athletes are well-prepared and capable of competing at the highest level.
Nigeria is determined to avoid the unwanted record of failing to present a relay team at major championships, a setback experienced at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
With the World Relays in May serving as qualifiers for both the Budapest 2026 and Beijing 2027 World Championships, the AFN is pushing hard to ensure multiple teams secure their places.
