Why it matters
Nigeria’s relay teams are now disqualified from qualifying for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after being forced to withdraw from this weekend’s World Relays in China—a key qualifier—due to visa issues. It’s a devastating setback for a nation with a strong sprinting legacy and Olympic-caliber athletes.
What’s happening
- Seven Nigerian athletes were denied visas by the Chinese embassy ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, set for May 10–11.
- The affected athletes were mostly based in the United States, and Nigeria’s sports officials say they followed all the proper application protocols.
- Without competing at the World Relays, Nigeria cannot qualify for relay events at the upcoming World Championships.
Behind the scenes
- The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had secured funding and booked travel since February, with the full team of 17 athletes scheduled to fly out May 5.
- A spokesperson from Nigeria’s National Sports Commission linked the visa rejections to China’s “hard policies against the USA,” though this has not been confirmed by Chinese officials.
- A petition has been sent to World Athletics requesting a special exemption, citing that the visa issues were outside the federation’s control.
Who’s affected
The visa denial derailed plans for some of Nigeria’s biggest sprint stars, including:
- Tobi Amusan, world record holder in the 100m hurdles
- Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Favour Ashe, all key members of the women’s and men’s 4x100m teams
- Mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams
Even home-based athletes were grounded, as the entire group’s travel was halted.
The bigger picture
- The top 14 teams in each relay at the World Relays automatically qualify for the World Championships.
- Nigeria had strong momentum, having qualified multiple teams at the 2024 World Relays in the Bahamas for the Paris Olympics.
- This incident follows a troubling trend: Nigeria also faced visa troubles at the World Relays in 2021 and 2023.
A Nigerian official told The Guardian Nigeria that Chinese authorities only accepted names directly submitted by World Athletics, not Nigeria’s full team list—a departure from protocols used during the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing.
What’s next
- Nigeria awaits a decision from World Athletics on its petition for an exemption.
- Without it, top athletes will miss their shot at the World Championships relay events.
- The situation highlights how geopolitical tensions and bureaucracy can derail even the most prepared national teams.
