A total of 381 athletes from 65 federations will compete at the National Athletics Centre as the new championship makes its debut on the global athletics calendar.

Nigeria will feature in five individual events and the mixed 4x100m relay, with Tobi Amusan, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Udodi Onwuzurike, Ezekiel Nathaniel and Ella Onojuvwevwo named for the individual competitions.

Amusan will compete in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Ajayi will represent Nigeria in the men’s 100m.

Team Nigeria prepares for inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest

Ajayi heads to Budapest after a breakthrough season that saw him become the first Nigerian male athlete to reach the men’s 100m final at the Diamond League. He finished third in the final in Brussels.

Onwuzurike has been entered for the men’s 200m, with Nathaniel set to compete in the men’s 400m hurdles. Onojuvwevwo will contest the women’s 400m.

Nigeria will also compete in the mixed 4x100m relay after securing automatic qualification at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone earlier this year.

The relay pool comprises Alaba Akintola, Favour Ashe, Onwuzurike, Amusan, Miracle Ezechukwu and Chigozie Nwankwo.

Onwuzurike and Amusan are therefore set to compete in both individual and relay events at the three-day championship.

The Ultimate Championship brings together Olympic champions, world champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and leading performers from the 2026 season, with the inaugural edition set to provide a new platform for the sport’s top athletes to compete against one another.

With the final entries now confirmed, Nigeria’s nine-athlete contingent will head to Budapest for the first edition of the championship.

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Nigerian Stars Target Success at the Inaugural Ultimate Championship

Amusan, Ajayi, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Samuel Ogazi and Ella Onojuvwevwo will represent Nigeria in their respective individual events, while the country has also secured qualification in the 4x100m relay.

The Ultimate Championship will take place from September 11 to 13 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, bringing together some of the leading performers in world athletics.

Amusan will compete in the women’s 100m hurdles, where she remains one of Nigeria’s biggest names on the international stage.

The 29-year-old is the world record holder in the event after clocking 12.12 seconds in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. She went on to win gold in the final, becoming Nigeria’s first world champion in athletics.

Ajayi will line up in the men’s 100m after a breakthrough season that has seen him establish himself among the leading sprinters in the world.

The Nigerian has equalled the national record of 9.84 seconds three times this season and has recorded notable victories against some of the world’s top sprinters.

His qualification adds another strong Nigerian presence to the championship’s blue-riband sprint event.

Nathaniel will compete in the men’s 400m hurdles after producing another impressive season.

The Nigerian is a Commonwealth Games champion, having won gold in Glasgow in 48.47 seconds. He also holds the national record in the event at 47.11 seconds.

Ogazi earned his place in the men’s 400m following a season that has further established him as one of Nigeria’s brightest young quarter-milers.

The 20-year-old broke the Nigerian record with 43.38 seconds earlier this year and went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow.

Onojuvwevwo completes Nigeria’s five individual qualifiers in the women’s 400m.

She made history this season by becoming the first Nigerian woman in more than two decades to break the 50-second barrier in the event, running a personal best of 49.59 seconds.

Onojuvwevwo also claimed bronze at the Commonwealth Games, adding another major achievement to her breakthrough campaign.

Nigeria will also be represented in the 4x100m relay after securing qualification for the event.

The relay pool includes Alaba Akintola, Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Chigozie and Jennifer Obi Chukwuka.

The qualification gives Nigeria another opportunity to compete for honours in Budapest, with the relay squad joining the five individual qualifiers at the inaugural championship.

The Ultimate Championship is designed to bring together the best performers from the season to compete for the title of Ultimate Champion.

The event will feature 28 disciplines and a record US$10 million prize purse, with each individual champion set to receive US$150,000.

For Nigeria, Amusan’s experience, Ajayi’s emergence, Nathaniel’s hurdles pedigree, Ogazi’s record-breaking season and Onojuvwevwo’s breakthrough will form the core of the country’s individual challenge in Budapest.

The 4x100m relay team will provide another opportunity for Nigerian athletes to make their mark when the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship gets underway in Hungary.

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Team Nigeria made a promising start to its athletics campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with several athletes progressing from the opening rounds on the first day of competition.

While the country is still chasing its first athletics medal of the Games, the performances on the track provided plenty of optimism, as three athletes advanced to the next stage of their events, although Oyesade Olatoye’s campaign ended in the women’s hammer throw qualification.

Favour Ashe produced one of Nigeria’s standout performances of the day, comfortably winning his men’s 100m heat to secure a place in the semi-finals. The national champion showed his class with an explosive start and composed finish, strengthening his credentials as one of Nigeria’s leading medal contenders.

Nicholas Fakorede also booked his place in the next round after a disciplined display in the men’s 100m, while Miracle Ezechukwu impressed on her Commonwealth Games debut by progressing from the opening round of the women’s 100m. Her performance underlined the depth of Nigeria’s emerging sprint talent.

The only setback for Team Nigeria came in the women’s hammer throw, where Olatoye narrowly missed out on qualification for the final despite a determined effort.

One of the major positives from the opening day was the composure displayed by the Nigerian athletes. The sprinters executed their race plans effectively, reflecting the work put in during preparations for the Games and highlighting the growing depth within the squad.

Nigeria’s challenge in the men’s 100m remains strong, with Kayinsola Ajayi already through to the semi-finals by virtue of his ranking. The team will also look to athletes such as Temitope Adeshina and Ella Onojuvwevwo as the athletics programme continues in Glasgow.

With several of the country’s leading medal hopefuls still to compete, Team Nigeria will be aiming to build on its encouraging start and convert strong performances into podium finishes in the days ahead.

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