Nigeria’s aspirations to field both men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo took a significant hit over the weekend, The PUNCH reports.

At the European Team Championships in Madrid, the Netherlands surged ahead in the qualification standings with a blistering, record-breaking performance. Prior to the meet, Nigeria and the Netherlands were tied for 15th place with identical times of 38.20 seconds — both nations positioned to claim one of the final two qualifying spots based on time.

However, the Dutch men’s quartet of Nsikak Ekpo, Taymir Burnet, Xavi Mo-Ajok, and Elvis Afrifa delivered a sensational 37.87s run, setting a new national record, a European Team Championships record, and the fastest time in Europe this season. Their performance dropped Nigeria to 16th place — now precariously holding the final provisional qualification spot.

With only 16 relay teams advancing to Tokyo — 14 from the 2024 World Relays in Guangzhou and two others based on top performance times before the August 27 deadline — Nigeria’s men’s team now faces the risk of being overtaken. Nations such as Brazil (38.40s), Jamaica (38.45s), and Trinidad & Tobago (38.46s) are closing in and could easily surpass Nigeria with improved performances in the coming months.

Women’s Team in Even Deeper Trouble

The outlook is even more challenging for the women’s 4x100m team. Nigeria currently sits 17th on the world list with a season-best of 42.70s — just behind Australia (42.48s) and Ivory Coast (42.63s), who hold the final two time-based qualifying slots.

With the qualification window closing on August 24, Nigeria has limited time — and limited chances — to secure a spot in Tokyo. Four key meets remain:

• Nigerian Championships (July 31–August 2)

• Togo Championships (August 9)

• CAA Region II Championships in Ghana (August 15–16)

• Ghanaian Championships (August 21–22)

Failure to improve their rankings in these events would result in both Nigerian relay teams missing out on the World Championships — a bitter repeat of recent disappointments on the global stage.