By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 2, 2026

Nigeria will confront a formidable line-up including the Netherlands and Jamaica in the mixed 4x400m heats at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone today, with qualification for major global championships at stake, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The event is scheduled as the second race on day one, set to begin at 1:30pm Nigerian time, with Nigeria drawn in heat two alongside China, Poland, the Netherlands, Japan, JamaiTca and Canada.

The composition of the heat presents a significant challenge, particularly with the presence of the Netherlands, whose personal best of 3:07.43, set at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, stands as the second fastest time in history.

Nigeria, with a personal best of 3:11.99 and a season’s best of 3:16.13, will be aiming to secure one of the automatic qualification places, as only the first two teams in each heat, along with the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers, will progress to the final and book places at the 2027 World Athletics Championships.

The Nigerian squad is expected to be selected from a pool of experienced athletes across both men’s and women’s categories, including Ezekiel Asuquo, Gafari Badmus, Victor Ime, Samson Nathaniel and Emmanuel Ojeli, alongside Anita Enaruna, Patience Okon-George, Toheebat Jimoh, Taiwo Kudoro, Jecinta Lawrence, Esther Okon and Sekiru Adeyemi.

Their task will be to navigate a competitive field that includes Jamaica, with a personal best of 3:11.06, and Poland, who boast a 3:09.43 mark, underlining the depth of quality in the heat.

Beyond the heats, the broader mixed 4x400m competition is expected to be led by the United States, who arrive as world champions, world record holders and defending World Relays winners.

The Americans, who recorded a competition record of 3:09.54 to win the title last year, remain the benchmark in the discipline, although recent results suggest a more open contest.

The Netherlands, despite their pedigree and Olympic success in 2024, will compete without key figure Femke Bol, potentially affecting their dominance, while Belgium, Spain and Poland have all demonstrated strong recent form in global competitions.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Olympic bronze medallists in 2024, are also expected to contend, while Australia and Kenya will seek to replicate their impressive performances from the previous edition.

Jamaica, a traditional sprint powerhouse and world silver medallists in 2019, further adds to the competitive landscape Nigeria must overcome.

In Gaborone, the stakes extend beyond the immediate race, as 12 teams will ultimately qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing in 2027, with eight securing places on day one and the remaining four decided in an additional round on day two.

The top six teams overall will also earn qualification for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September.

The immediate objective remains clear for Nigeria, to successfully negotiate a demanding heat and secure progression against some of the strongest relay nations in the world.

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 2, 2026

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