Team Nigeria’s World Relays Campaign Faces Critical Setbacks: Key Athletes Likely Out Due to Passport and Testing Issues
The Nigerian contingent at the 2026 World Relays is grappling with significant disruptions as two of its most promising US-based sprinters, Rosemary Chukwuma and Blessing Ogundiran, are on the verge of missing the competition. The event, scheduled for May 2–3 at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, represents a crucial opportunity for Nigeria to secure qualification slots for the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games. However, administrative and regulatory hurdles have thrown these plans into jeopardy.
According to reports from PUNCH Sports Extra, both athletes have been unable to join the Nigerian team due to circumstances beyond their control. Chukwuma’s passport was returned late from an embassy, delaying her travel, while Ogundiran is still awaiting the results of her SRY gene test—a mandatory eligibility requirement under World Athletics’ biological sex verification regulations. These rules, introduced to ensure fair competition in women’s events, require athletes to undergo testing for the SRY gene, which is typically present on the Y chromosome. A positive result can lead to reclassification or ineligibility, making this a high-stakes process for any female athlete competing internationally.
Christopher Maduewesi of Making of Champions, reporting from Gaborone, confirmed the situation: “At the moment, both Rosemary Chukwuma and Blessing Ogundiran are out of the World Relays for Nigeria. Before we try to apportion blame, it was due to circumstances beyond everyone’s control—not that the athletes didn’t want to come, or that the federation didn’t try to get them here. For Ogundiran, her SRY sample was just collected and won’t be ready before the start of the competition. While for Chukwuma, her passport was returned quite late from an embassy, which made it difficult for her to travel on time. However, it seems the AFN and NSC are making efforts to still get her to Gaborone.”
The absence of these two athletes is a severe blow to Nigeria’s relay ambitions. Ogundiran boasts a personal best of 10.98 seconds in the 100m, while Chukwuma has recorded a season’s best of 10.95 seconds. Both times are among the fastest in Africa this year, and their speed is critical for the women’s 4x100m and mixed 4x100m relay teams. Without them, Nigeria’s chances of advancing to the finals or securing Olympic berths diminish significantly. For context, the World Relays serve as a primary qualification pathway: the top 14 teams in each relay event earn automatic spots for the World Championships, and the top 8 secure Olympic slots. Missing key sprinters could force Nigeria into a more difficult qualification route later in the season.
In the women’s 4x100m, Nigeria will now rely on a less experienced quartet: Jenifer Chukwuka, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Nwankwo, and Maria Omokwe. While these athletes have shown promise in domestic competitions, none have the sub-11-second pedigree of Chukwuma or Ogundiran. The mixed 4x100m relay team includes Enoch Adegoke, James Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeakor, and Ezechukwu—a lineup that lacks the explosive speed needed to compete against powerhouse nations like the United States, Jamaica, and Great Britain.
For the men’s 4x400m, the squad comprises Ezekiel Azukwo, Gafari Badmus, Victor Ime, Samson Nathaniel, Emmanuel Ojeli, and Chidi Okezie. This group has solid depth, with Okezie being a seasoned international competitor. The women’s 4x400m team features Anita Enaruna, Patience Okon-George, Toheebat Jimoh, Taiwo Kudoro, Jecinta Lawrence, and Esther Okon. Okon-George, a veteran of multiple African Championships, brings leadership and experience. The mixed 4x400m team consists of Sekiru Adeyemi, Enaruna, Okon-George, Jimoh, Ojeli, and Okezie—a balanced mix of speed and endurance.
This situation underscores broader challenges facing Nigerian athletics: logistical inefficiencies, bureaucratic delays, and the complexities of international eligibility rules. For athletes based abroad, coordinating with Nigerian embassies and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) can be fraught with delays. Similarly, the SRY gene test, while necessary for compliance, requires timely sample collection and processing—something that appears to have been mismanaged in Ogundiran’s case. These issues are not unique to Nigeria; many African nations struggle with similar hurdles, but the stakes are higher for a country with a rich sprinting heritage.
As the competition approaches, all eyes will be on the AFN and the National Sports Commission (NSC) to see if they can expedite Chukwuma’s travel. Even if she arrives, she will have little time to acclimatize or practice with the relay team. For Ogundiran, the wait for her test results may extend beyond the relays, potentially ruling her out of other early-season meets. The ripple effects could impact Nigeria’s preparations for the African Championships and the World Championships later in 2026.
In the meantime, the athletes called up as replacements must rise to the occasion. Their performance in Gaborone will not only determine Nigeria’s immediate fate but also shape the team’s morale and strategy for the rest of the season. For fans and stakeholders, this is a moment of both concern and hope—a test of resilience for a nation that has produced legendary relay teams in the past.
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