Nigeria, Ethiopia To Battle For World Relays Qualification In Calabar

The quest for a place at the 2026 World Relays gets underway in Calabar on Friday(Today), as Nigeria and Ethiopia face off in a special international relay competition at the MTN Champs Athletics Classic.

The three-day event, which began on Thursday, features head-to-head races between the two nations in the mixed, men’s, and women’s 4x400m relays. These races serve as a crucial early opportunity for both countries to secure qualifying marks for the global showpiece, scheduled for May 2 to 3 in Gaborone, Botswana, before the qualification window closes on April 5.

For the first time in the history of the domestic MTN Champs series, an East African nation is taking part. The organisers, Making of Champions, confirmed that Ethiopia’s presence adds a significant international dimension to the competition.

“For the first time at MTN Champs, an East African country is taking part in this competition. Ethiopia is in Calabar to compete in the continental relays, chasing qualifications for the World Relays in Gaborone,” the organisers stated in a post on their X handle. The visitors will also compete in the individual 400m events.

While official relay squads are yet to be named, a host of Nigeria’s top quarter-milers are already in Calabar for the individual 400m races. The list of entered athletes includes experienced campaigners like Patience Okon-George and Emmanuel Ojeli, as well as Anita Enurana, Toheebat Jimoh, Ezekiel Asuquo, Gafar Badmus, and Victor Sampson.

Ethiopia have already signalled their intent on the track, with Merdekiyos Wolde Wachiso winning his heat in the men’s 400m on Thursday with a time of 47.20 seconds.

The action will intensify today with the mixed 4x400m relay, while the men’s and women’s 4x400m finals are set to bring the meet to a close on Saturday.

This Calabar leg is the first in a series of qualification opportunities for Nigeria. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has earmarked both this competition and the upcoming Continental Relays in Jos (March 26-28) as vital steps in the team’s preparation for the World Relays. The MTN Champs season will then conclude with the grand finale in Ibadan from April 15 to 18.

With automatic qualification already secured by the top eight finishers from each event at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, the remaining spots in Gaborone are up for grabs via the global rankings. A maximum of 24 teams per event will compete in Botswana.

The stakes extend beyond just the World Relays. Strong performances in Gaborone will also serve as a qualification pathway for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, adding extra weight to every race in Calabar this weekend.