The 2025 World Athletics Championships begin on Saturday at the Tokyo National Stadium, with Nigeria sending a lean squad of 15 athletes in search of global honours.
World record holder Tobi Amusan leads Nigeria’s charge. The 27-year-old became a global star in Oregon 2022 when she broke the 100m hurdles world record in the semi-final before winning gold in the final.
Her defence in Budapest last year ended in disappointment as she placed sixth, but she returns to Tokyo aiming to re-establish her dominance.
Amusan remains Nigeria’s only World Championships gold medallist, and her form will be closely watched as she lines up against a stacked field.
Ese Brume, Nigeria’s Olympic silver medallist, carries equally strong medal credentials. One of the most consistent performers on the circuit, Brume has won bronze in Doha 2019 and silver in Oregon 2022.
Ese Brume. Photo Credit: Getty Images
She narrowly missed out on another podium in Budapest 2023, edged into fourth place after Romania’s Alina Rotaru-Kottmann leapt 6.88m to beat her best of 6.84m.
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Tokyo presents another chance for Brume to claim her third World Championships medal and extend Nigeria’s long jump tradition.
At stake is not only prestige but also prize money, with gold medallists guaranteed $70,000 (₦105.1m), silver $35,000 (₦52.6m) and bronze $22,000 (₦33m).
Other medal hopefuls
Nigeria’s contingent also includes in-form hurdlers and sprinters hoping to spring a surprise.
Ezekiel Nathaniel enters the men’s 400m hurdles after breaking the national record five times this year and winning the NCAA title.
Samuel Ogazi: the teenage 400m runner who reached the Olympic final last year, makes his World Championships debut alongside Chidi Okezie.
Udodi Onwuzurike: the 200m World Junior Champion from 2021, is back on the global stage after steady progress on the senior circuit.
In the men’s 100m, Kanyinsola Ajayi and Israel Sunday Okon take up the sprint challenge, while Rosemary Chukwuma is Nigeria’s only representative in the women’s 100m after Favour Ofili switched allegiance to Turkey.
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In the field, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi returns for another attempt in the men’s shot put, while Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons and Obiageri Amaechi compete in the women’s discus.
Chioma Onyekwere, Obiageri Amaechi amd Chukwuebuka Enekwechi in training. Photo Credit: Making Champions.
Oyesade Olatoye enters the hammer throw, and in the long jump, Brume is joined by Prestina Ochonogor and Charles Godfred.
Since Ajayi Agbebaku’s bronze at the inaugural World Championships in 1983, Nigeria has claimed 11 medals in total. Blessing Okagbare remains the only Nigerian to win two medals at a single edition, taking long jump silver and 200m bronze in Moscow 2013.
Amusan’s victory in Oregon 2022 remains Nigeria’s only gold medal at this level.
