Nigerian athletes were conspicuously absent from the start lists and event summaries on the opening day of the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, due to visa complications.
The visa issues significantly impacted Nigeria’s 10-person contingent, preventing them from competing on Friday and Saturday.
As a result, new African 400m indoor record holder Ezekiel Nathaniel was not listed in the men’s 400m heats, and Success Umukoro was absent from the women’s 60m start list.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News on Naira Sports WhatsApp Channel
The initial list of 10 Nigerian athletes slated to participate in six events, including the women’s 60m, high jump, long jump, men’s 400m, shot put, and 4x400m relay, was severely compromised.
Notable athletes such as Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Nathaniel, Chidi Okezie, Temitope Adeshina, Prestina Ochonogor, Ediddiong Udo, James Onwuka, Ifeanyi Ojeli, Umukoro, and Joshua Caleb were expected to represent Nigeria.
Prior to the visa debacle, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had made significant efforts to ensure the athletes’ participation, despite initial concerns about scheduling conflicts with the NCAA.
As of now, Nigerian fans will have to wait until Sunday to see if Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who is reportedly in China, will compete in the men’s shot put and if the men’s 4x400m relay team will participate.
Meanwhile, the first day of competition saw Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu win gold in the men’s 60m final, Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy secure silver, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine take bronze.
Source: Punch
Leave feedback about this