By Monica Iheakam
Nigeria’s Women’s 4x100m and the mixed relay teams have secured qualification tickets for the 19th World Athletics Championships billed for Budapest, Hungary next year.
The two relay teams earned their passage to Budapest thanks to the World Athletics revision of the qualification systems on Monday, October 31, 2022.
The World Athletics Council decided to postpone the World Athletics Relays scheduled for 13-14 May 2023 in Guangzhou, to May 2025 due to the ongoing pandemic conditions in China.
The postponement, according to World Athletics, triggered the new relay qualifications for the Budapest championships.
The amended qualification system thus has the first eight placed teams at the Oregon 2022 World Athletics championships picking slots for the Hungry event.
The Nigerian 4x100m women’s relay team of Joy Chinenye Udo-Gabriel, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha ran a then 42.22s African record to place fourth in the final while the men’s team was disqualified in the semifinal.
The Nigerian mixed relay quartet of Samson Nathaniel, Imaobong Nse Uko, Dubem Amene and Patience Okon George ran 3:16.21s to finish sixth in the final and will now be in Budapest next August.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “It is regrettable when we have to postpone an event.
Sports Minister congratulates Flamingos, Olympic Eagles on weekend of sporting success
The Sports Minister Sunday Dare has congratulated both the Nigeria U17 Women’s football team, the Flamingos and the Olympic Eagles on their successes over the weekend.
On Sunday, the Flamingos became the first African team to finish on the podium in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after beating Germany through penalties to pick the bronze medal while the Olympic Eagles beat Tanzania 3-1 on aggregate in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday, to qualify for the next round of the CAF U23 AFCON qualifiers.
According to the Sports Minister, “the victories are heartwarming for Nigeria and worth celebrating.
“I commend the coaches and the players of both teams for giving us their best performances as well as congratulate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for these successes.”
The Olympic Eagles will face either Uganda or Guinea in the final round of the U23 AFCON qualifiers while football followers will hope to see a good number of the Flamingos grow through the ranks into the U20 team, Falconets and the senior team, the Falcons in a few years.