Ofili, Ogazi Set to Make Long-Awaited European Debut at World Athletics Gold Tour Meet

Nigeria’s top track and field talents are set to make their European outdoor circuit debut at the prestigious Gyulai István Memorial, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the National Athletics Center in Budapest, Hungary.

Leading the Nigerian contingent is Favour Ofili, who will compete in the women’s 200m event. Since turning professional, Ofili has yet to race on the European circuit, making this her long-awaited debut.

She enters the race as the fastest athlete in the field, boasting a lifetime best of 21.96 seconds and a season’s best of 22.00 seconds, both unmatched by any of her competitors. Ofili is expected to dominate the race, which serves as a precursor to her appearance at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland, just four days later.

Her main challengers include Jessika Gbai of Côte d’Ivoire, who has yet to defeat Ofili over any sprint distance, and Daryll Neita of Great Britain, the Commonwealth Games 100m bronze medalist. Neita holds a 2–2 head-to-head record against Ofili in the 200m but trails in their only 100m clash.

Also making his European debut is Samuel Ogazi, the reigning NCAA 400m champion, who clocked 44.84 seconds to win the title earlier this year. At just 19 years old, Ogazi is aiming to become the first Nigerian to break the 44-second barrier in the 400m.

He will face a stacked field that includes Zakithi Nene of South Africa, the world leader with 43.76 seconds, and MacRae Khaleb of the USA, who has run 43.91 seconds this season. The race also features Muzala Samukonga of Zambia, the Olympic bronze medalist and reigning African and Commonwealth Games champion.

In total, five athletes in the field have run under 44 seconds, while the remaining three have clocked sub-45 performances.

In the men’s 100m, Kanyinsola Ajayi will line up against the fastest sprinters in the world. He will face Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, the current world leader with a blistering 9.75 seconds, Akani Simbine of South Africa, the meet record-holder at 9.84 seconds, and Ackeem Blake, who holds a personal and season’s best of 9.88 seconds.

Ajayi, Nigeria’s top-ranked sprinter this season with a personal best of 9.92 seconds, enters the race with momentum from three consecutive international wins. He has favorable head-to-head records against several competitors but will be tested by Thompson and Omanyala, whom he has yet to face.

Rounding out the Nigerian team is Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the country’s leading shot putter, who returns to the Gyulai István Memorial for the fourth time.

Enekwechi finished third in 2024, ninth in 2023, and fourth in 2021, and is coming off a historic performance at the Prefontaine Classic where he became the first African to surpass the 22-meter mark, throwing 22.10 meters.

He will compete against a world-class field that includes Leonardo Fabbri, Joe Kovacs, and Rajindra Campbell, all of whom have thrown beyond 22 meters this season.

The Gyulai István Memorial, held at the reconfigured National Athletics Center in Budapest, is one of the final stops on the Continental Tour Gold series before the World Championships in Tokyo. With elite athletes from around the globe converging on Hungary, the event promises to be a thrilling showcase of speed, power, and precision.