Team Nigeria Withdraws from 2025 World Relays Amid Visa and Protocol Challenges
Visa Delays and Protocol Failures Lead to Withdrawal Team Nigeria will no longer compete at the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, after failing to secure visas for athletes and officials. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) cited “untidy protocol arrangements” and strict Chinese policies as primary reasons. The team had planned to arrive in Guangzhou by May 5 to acclimatize and practice baton exchanges ahead of the May 10–11 event. However, visa applications were delayed due to China’s Labour Day celebrations (May 1–5) and heightened political tensions between China and Western nations, which slowed processing. Athlete Boycotts Compound Challenges Even before the visa crisis, star athletes like Favour Ofili and Udodi Onwuzurike had withdrawn. Ofili refused to represent Nigeria until the AFN addresses the Paris 2024 Olympics fiasco, where her name was omitted from the women’s 100m race. A […]