World Relays 2026: Nigeria Banking on Withdrawals to Secure More Relay Spots
Nigeria’s hopes of fielding more relay teams at next month’s World Relays now rest on the possibility of withdrawals by other nations, as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) managed to secure three out of six available slots before the close of qualification deadline on Sunday April 5, 2026.
Despite spending millions of naira chasing qualification at the Botswana meet instead of testing their chances at the MTN Champs, a World Athletics Challenger event, Nigeria’s relay ambitions have faltered.
The World Relays serve as qualifiers for both the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.
Qualification opportunities are available across two days of competition in Gaborone, with six teams in both the mixed 4x100m and mixed 4x400m earning tickets to Budapest, while 12 teams in each event booked places for Beijing.
Nigeria’s only hope of an extra slot is in the mixed 4x400m where the team is ranked 27th which means if three countries withdraw, the nation could be called up to fill vacant lanes.
The men’s and women’s 4x100m teams, despite parading exciting sprinters running world-class times, are far from contention.
The women’s squad sits 37th in the rankings, requiring more than 10 withdrawals to gain entry, while the men’s team is ranked 33rd.
At the last World Championships in Tokyo, Nigeria failed to present a single relay team, a record low under the Tonobok Okowa-led AFN board.
With the current standings, a repeat of that unwanted record may be looming at the 2027 World Championships unless fortune smiles through withdrawals.
