The highly anticipated 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships have officially commenced today in Nanjing, China, with over 500 Nigerian athletes set to compete in various track and field events. The tournament, regarded as the biggest indoor athletics event of the year, will run until March 23, showcasing elite talents from across the globe.
According to World Athletics, this year’s championship promises to be an unforgettable spectacle, featuring 11 defending champions and 20 Olympic medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympics. A total of 576 athletes from 127 countries are battling for supremacy on the indoor track.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Elite Athletes Development Board at the National Sports Commission (NSC), Yusuf Ali, revealed that Nigerian athletes were making final preparations for their departure to China.
“Hopefully, all our athletes will leave their respective locations on Thursday. As we speak, their flight tickets are being arranged by the Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). I am confident they will make Nigeria proud in China,” Ali told The Guardian on Wednesday.
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Among the top Nigerian contenders, Success Umukoro will compete in the highly competitive women’s 60m sprint, facing off against some of the world’s fastest sprinters. Prestina Oluchi Ochonogor is Nigeria’s sole representative in the women’s long jump, aiming for a podium finish.
In the men’s 400m event, Ezekiel Nathaniel will carry Nigeria’s hopes, while Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in the shot put. Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team, featuring Nathaniel Ezekiel, Ojeli Emmanuel, James Onwuka, and Chidi Okezie, is considered one of the strong favorites for a medal in the event.
Supporting Team Nigeria in China are two officials: Victor Okorie, a U.S.-based AFN board member and former 400m hurdles silver medalist, alongside AFN Secretary General Israel Inwang.
With a strong lineup of Nigerian athletes ready to compete against the world’s best, all eyes will be on Nanjing to see how Team Nigeria performs on the global stage.
