Team Nigeria’s Women’s 4x400m Qualifies for World Relays on Day 3 of MTN CHAMPS 

The MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics in Calabar came to a fitting conclusion on Day 3 of the competition, delivering several memorable moments, including the qualification of Team Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team for the upcoming World Relays Championships scheduled to hold in Botswana in May.

Led by veteran and three-time Olympian Patience Okon-George alongside promising youngsters Anita Enaruna, Treasure Okereke, and Jecinter Lawrence, the quartet clocked a solid 3:31.14 to move up to 21st in the World Rankings, displacing Mexico to secure their spot at this year’s edition of the World Relays, which will be hosted on African soil for the first time. Team Ethiopia finished a distant second in 3:38.31, while Team Nigeria B placed third in 3:40.50.

This marks the second time a Nigerian team has secured qualification for the World Relays at an MTN CHAMPS competition. The mixed 4x100m quartet – currently the only other Nigerian team to have qualified for the World Relays – achieved the feat at the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays in Lagos last year.

The men’s 4x400m team narrowly missed out on qualification, falling just under two seconds short of the required mark. The quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Gafar Badmus, Victor Sampson, and Samson Nathaniel clocked 3:04.59, needing to run faster than 3:03.46 to qualify. Team Nigeria B finished second in 3:11.78, while Team Ethiopia placed third in 3:21.44.

The Junior Men’s 4x100m relay was highly competitive, with Team MTN B — comprising Emmanuel Oyewale, Prosper Ushie, Michael Aniche, and Fervent Imoh — crossing the line first in 43.32 ahead of Team MTN A, who clocked 43.62. Golden Edge claimed Bronze in 44.58.

Grace and Gold won the girls’ category in 48.89, finishing ahead of Secondary Commercial School Ibiaku Itam and Government Secondary School Idang.

Team MTN’s Toheebat Jimoh added another GOLD medal to the 400m title she won the previous day, claiming the women’s 200m crown in a new Personal Best (PB) of 24.51. Her teammate Miracle Uwem Donald finished second in 24.59, while Odot Udo placed third in 24.88.

Olaoluwa Obashola won the men’s 200m in 21.74s, running into a -2.0m/s headwind. Joshua Wali and Ezekiel Asuquo finished second and third, respectively.

In the Junior Women’s 200m, N-Youth’s duo of Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo replicated their 100m finishing positions, clocking 23.47 and 23.79 respectively to claim GOLD and Silver. Lutheran High’s Etieno Israel took Bronze in 24.60.

Team Akwa Ibom’s Liberty Okon secured his second title of the competition, winning the Junior Men’s 200m in 21.90 ahead of Team MTN’s Michael Aniche, who ran a PB of 22.16, and Grace Gold’s Israel Okon (22.28).

In the Youth Girls’ 200m, Success Onu of Emotan emerged victorious in 24.90, ahead of Team BPS’ Rebecca Enilolobo (25.26), who narrowly edged Eagles International’s Miracle Festus (25.27).

Team MTN’s Emmanuel Akolo completed a sprint double, winning the Youth Boys’ 200m in 22.45 to add to the 100m title he secured the previous day. His teammate Fervent Edet finished second in 23.48, ahead of Government Model’s Daniel Okwokwo (24.27).

Community School Mbiaso’s Esther James claimed the Cadet Girls’ 200m title in 28.43, ahead of Uyaiabasi Okon of Eagles International (28.73) and Emmanuella Eteng of Faanss (29.43).

Another Community School Mbiaso athlete also dominated the Cadet Boys’ race, with Wisdom Archibong winning in 26.47s. St Michael Model Comprehensive’s Moses Ogidi finished second in 27.47, while Ifiok Sunday of Eagles International placed third in 27.66.

In the field events, Team Nigeria’s Samuel Kure dominated the men’s Javelin throw with a best mark of 77.50m. Ezekiel Nyong of Cross River State and Elijah Etim (Unattached) settled for Silver and Bronze, respectively. Clergy Edet won the women’s High Jump title with a new lifetime best of 1.75m.