By Sunny Chanto
Team Nigeria’s women’s 4x400 metres relay team has secured qualification for the forthcoming World Relays Championships following an impressive performance on the final day of the MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics held in Calabar, Cross River State.
The quartet, led by veteran sprinter and three-time Olympian Patience Okon-George, alongside Anita Enaruna, Treasure Okereke and Jecinter Lawrence, delivered a strong outing to clock 3 minutes 31.14 seconds. The time moved Nigeria to 21st position in the global rankings, displacing Mexico and confirming the country’s qualification for the World Relays Championships scheduled to take place in Botswana in May.
Team Ethiopia finished a distant second in the race with a time of 3:38.31, while Team Nigeria B placed third in 3:40.50.
The achievement marks the second time a Nigerian relay team has secured qualification for the global competition through an MTN CHAMPS event. Last year, Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay team booked their ticket to the championship during the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays held in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the men’s 4x400m relay team narrowly missed out on qualification after falling short of the required time. The team of Emmanuel Ojeli, Gafar Badmus, Victor Sampson and Samson Nathaniel finished with a time of 3:04.59, just under two seconds outside the qualifying mark of 3:03.46. Team Nigeria B came second in 3:11.78, while Ethiopia placed third in 3:21.44.
The competition also witnessed several thrilling performances across different categories.
In the Junior Men’s 4x100m relay, Team MTN B comprising Emmanuel Oyewale, Prosper Ushie, Michael Aniche and Fervent Imoh claimed victory with a time of 43.32 seconds, edging Team MTN A which finished in 43.62 seconds, while Golden Edge secured third place in 44.58 seconds.
Grace and Gold won the girls’ 4x100m relay event in 48.89 seconds ahead of Secondary Commercial School Ibiaku Itam and Government Secondary School Idang.
Team MTN’s Toheebat Jimoh continued her impressive form by clinching the women’s 200m title in a personal best of 24.51 seconds, adding to the 400m gold medal she won earlier in the competition. Her teammate Miracle Uwem Donald finished second in 24.59 seconds, while Odot Udo placed third in 24.88 seconds.
Olaoluwa Obashola emerged winner of the men’s 200m event with a time of 21.74 seconds despite running against a -2.0m/s headwind. Joshua Wali and Ezekiel Asuquo finished second and third respectively.
In the Junior Women’s 200m, N-Youth athletes Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo dominated the race, claiming gold and silver in times of 23.47 and 23.79 seconds respectively, while Etieno Israel of Lutheran High secured bronze in 24.60 seconds.
Liberty Okon of Team Akwa Ibom also secured his second title of the competition, winning the Junior Men’s 200m in 21.90 seconds ahead of Team MTN’s Michael Aniche, who recorded a personal best of 22.16 seconds, and Israel Okon of Grace Gold, who finished in 22.28 seconds.
Other winners included Success Onu of Emotan, who triumphed in the Youth Girls’ 200m in 24.90 seconds, and Team MTN’s Emmanuel Akolo, who completed a sprint double by winning the Youth Boys’ 200m in 22.45 seconds after claiming the 100m title earlier in the competition.
In the Cadet category, Esther James of Community School Mbiaso claimed the girls’ 200m title in 28.43 seconds, while her schoolmate Wisdom Archibong dominated the boys’ event with a winning time of 26.47 seconds.
In the field events, Team Nigeria’s Samuel Kure emerged victorious in the men’s javelin throw with a best mark of 77.50 metres, ahead of Cross River State’s Ezekiel Nyong and Elijah Etim, who finished second and third respectively. Clergy Edet also set a new lifetime best of 1.75 metres to win the women’s high jump event.
The three-day MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics concluded with several outstanding performances, highlighting emerging talents while also boosting Nigeria’s preparations for upcoming international competitions.
Caption:
Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team celebrates qualification for the World Relays after a strong performance at the MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics in Calabar.
