For the first time in history, Nigeria will be presenting five throwers in field events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, which commences on Saturday, August 19th.
Three-time national Shot put Champion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be looking to have a good outing at this year’s edition, just as Sade Olatoye will be representing the country in the women’s Hammer throw.
The trio of Chioma Onyekwere, Ashley Anumba and Obiageri Amaechi will be donning the country’s colours and competing in the women’s Discus throw – the first time in World Championships history for Nigeria. Only USA and Germany have more entries in the event at Budapest 23.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi
The 2018 Commonwealth Games Silver medallist will make his fourth appearance at the biennial showpiece with the target of bettering his previous performances. The thrower has been one of Team Nigeria’s most consistent performers in the last five years.
In Doha 2019, he made his first Shot put final appearance at the Championships, placing 8th with 21.18m. He also made the final in Oregon and settled for an 11th place finish.
The National Record holder has consistently surpassed 21 meters in his recent outings this season and should put up a better showing this time around. He has a Season’s Best (SB) of 21.69m.
Chioma Onyekwere
The current African Record (AR) holder will be making her third World Championships appearance in Budapest, but this time, she will really fancy her chances of making the final of the event or even making it to the podium.
Earlier in April, she shattered her previous National Record of 63.30m and set a new AR with a massive 64.94m throw in Oklahoma, surpassing the World Championships qualifying standard of 64.20m.
In 2022, she defended her African Championships few months before she made history at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, becoming Nigeria’s first ever Commonwealth Champion in the women’s Discus.
Ashley Anumba
For someone who made her debut for Nigeria at the 2019 African Games in Rabat aged only 20, Anumba has massively grown to consistently deliver decent performances over the year in the women’s Discus.
She starred on home soil in 2022, winning the National Sports Festival Discus title with a 59.06m throw, which currently stands as a Festival Record. At the 2023 National Championships, she again proved herself, winning the title with a new PB of 61.98m, which helped her garner enough points to qualify for her first global championship.
Obiageri Amaechi
Amaechi will feature in her first World Championships with hopes of making her mark in Budapest. She has proven to be no walkover on big stages as she claimed a Bronze medal at the African Championships, emerged national champion in 2022 and clinched a Commonwealth Games Bronze, all within the space of three months.
Although she’s not had much competition this year as she tries to make a comeback after an injury setback, the thrower will relish the opportunity of competing on her biggest stage yet.
Sade Olatoye
The reigning African Champion will represent Nigeria in the Hammer throw for the second consecutive time, having competed in the Shot put in Doha.
Olatoye is going into the Championship with an impressive form after she recently threw a new PB of 70.86m, becoming only the second African woman after Annette Echikunwoke to throw beyond 70 meters in the event.
