Team Nigeria Seeks Three More Relay Spots at Botswana Trials
Team Nigeria’s athletics squad is preparing for a decisive outing at the Botswana National Trials from April 3 to 5, as the country looks to expand its qualification tally for the World Athletics Relays 2026.
Nigeria has already secured places in three relay events viz the women’s 4x400m, mixed 4x100m, and men’s 4x400m, but the mission in Botswana is to add more tickets and sharpen combinations ahead of the global competition in May.
Contrary to the erroneous report in the press release signed by AFN Head of Media Maxwell Kumoye, the women’s 4x100m team is yet to qualify and currently sits 37th in the rankings after clocking 44.27 seconds in Riyadh on November 19, 2025.
The men’s 4x400m team, ranked 23rd, remains under pressure with qualification limited to the top 24 nations.
Their recent 3:02.98 run in Botswana on March 28 keeps them ahead of Zambia (26th, 3:03.16) and Switzerland (25th, 3:03.15), but the margin is slim ahead of the April 5 deadline.
Nigeria is also chasing qualification in the mixed 4x400m relay, where they must run at least 3:15.07 to displace Vietnam, currently ranked 24th.
In the men’s 4x100m, the target is to better Colombia’s 38.73 seconds, while the women’s 4x100m squad, buoyed by rising sprint talent Miracle Ezechukwu, is aiming to surpass Thailand’s 43.88 seconds to secure the final qualifying spot.
The team has been fine-tuning baton exchanges and race strategies in camp, with confidence high ahead of what promises to be a fiercely competitive showdown in Botswana.
