Nigeria’s 4x100m Relay Men Grabs Ticket To Budapest

*Four Relay Squad To Represent Team Nigeria 

TEAM NIGERIA to the forthcoming World Athletics Championship in Budapest the Hungarian capital will be competing in four relay events at the global August showpiece in August.

Team Nigeria achieved this feat after three failed attempts by the Men’s 4x100m relay team.

The Men’s 4x100m relay team disappointment started in three major African cities athletics meetings, in Lome, Togo Nigeria’s economic hub, Lagos and Cotonou in Benin Republic.

However, the historical city of Asaba the Delta State capital, South-South of Nigeria offered the Men’s 4x100m relay team the podium to erase the pains and agonies of Lagos, Lome and Cotonou and they grabbed it in style.

On Thursday they punched their ticket to Budapest 2023 World Championship following a superlative run at Warri Grand Prix, which took place at Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State.

The 4x100m relay quartet of Ashe Favour, Ajayi, Alaba Akintola and Godson Brume ran 38.26 seconds to secure the ticket. They had run 38.64 seconds in the semi-final event that had Benin Republic and The Gambia in attendance before running an improved time of 38.26 seconds in the final, which guaranteed them a spot among the 16 nations in Budapest.

This feat brings to four the number of relay tickets Nigeria has in her contingent to Budapest, including the three qualification tickets it had earlier grabbed.

• Women’s 4x100m

• Women’s 4x400m

• The mixed relay team 

The Warri Grand Prix event in Asaba was used by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Delta State government to honour former Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, Dr Awoture Eleyae.

United States-based sprinter, Godson Brume, who anchored the race in Asaba, said on Wednesday that there would be no room for error in the event saying; “I feel we just have to get better in our baton exchange this time because our target to pick the 4x100m relay ticket in Asaba. I know that the AFN has tried so much by ensuring we participate in another relay event after what happened in Cotonou last week.”

An elated AFN President Chief Tonobok Okowa could not hide his joy on Thursday as he screamed. “I am so excited we got the ticket at last. I thank God for this wonderful gift. We can now concentrate on our preparation for the World Championship in Budapest.” 

In the same vein, a former AFN President and First Vice President of Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) Chief Solomon Ogba, said the success in securing the 4x100m Men’s relay ticket was a dream come true.

A journalist, Ohis Osein, of FAKS MEDIA who covered all the events in Lome the Togolese capital, Lagos in Nigeria and Cotonou, Benin Republic and who witnessed the sterling performance of the Men’s 4×100m relay team, attributed the success story to a number of factors.

“Dedication, determination, focus, the will to succeed, we can do it Nigerian spirit and hard work on the part of the athletes.

“The support the athlete received from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the Delta State Government as well as fans that thronged the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba to give them the much-needed push.

“The newly installed world-class track at the Stephen Keshi Stadium coupled with the team spirit and atmosphere.

“The Dr Awoture Eleyae spirit and the celebration of his excellent contribution galvanized the team to make this year’s Warri Grand Prix one to remember.”

Eighteen-Eleven Media