Nigeria shot put thrower and the country’s only representative at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, finished fifth in his event on Sunday to mark the end of Nigeria’s ominous appearance at the first major international athletics meet of the year, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Eneckwechi threw a season’s best of 21.25m to record his best-ever finish at an international tournament but it wasn’t enough to get him to the podium.
The Nigerian was just a few centimetres shy of a podium finish, as the event was won by New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, who reclaimed his world indoor title for his third win and sixth medal in the event with a mark of 21.65m (SB).
He was followed by USA duo Roger Steen and Adrian Piperi in second and third with marks of 21.62m (SB) and 21.48m respectively.
The 32-year-old Enekwechi was the only Nigerian athlete who made it to the championship after the Athletics Federation of Nigeria failed to perfect visas and tickets for nine other athletes who were registered for the event.
The World Athletics had published the names of 10 Nigerian athletes ahead of the championship.
PUNCH Sports Extra reported that the country’s participation was dealt a blow by visa issues which depleted the country’s 10-man contingent, leaving Enekwechi as the only athlete.
African Games gold medallist in the 400m, Chidi Okezie on Friday called out the AFN for registering him in the 4x400m relays and not the 400m.
“As I was heading to this meet, I found out that I wasn’t entered in the 400m while in the airport. I was only supposed to run the relays. I told them I’m running the 400m,” Okezie said.
Before the depletion hit team Nigeria, our correspondent also gathered that the AFN made frantic efforts to get the athletes to China after it initially considered not honouring the competition due to the busy schedule of most Nigerian athletes in the NCAA.
