Enekwechi to open Team Nigeria’s World Athletics Championships campaign on Saturday

Three- time Nigeria and reigning African Shot Put king, Chukwuebuka Cornelius Enekwechi will open Nigeria’s campaign for medals on Saturday when the 19th
World Athletics Championships begin in Budapest, Hungary.

Enekwechi is amking his third trip to the championships and will be looking to be lucky this time around by putting himself on to the podium and make history as the first Nigerian to do so, but will wishes become horses?

The 30 year old will file out onto the field of the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on Saturday aiming to do better than th record he set on his debut in 2019.

In Doha, Qatar, the Nigerian made history as the first to make the final of the event, finishing eighth in the final classification and went home with a cash prize of $4,000.

Enekwechi finished three places lower in Oregon in 2022 than his eighth place finish in Doha three years earlier and will feel he has had the experience to
negotiate the shot put circle.

Ranked 14th best so far this season, the Nigerian knows he needs to break the 22m mark and become the 10th man to hit above that mark this season to stand a chance of winning a medal.

The final of the event will come up later on Saturday evening.

Also competing on the opening day will be long jumpers, Ruth Usoro and Ese Brume as well as sprinters Seye Ogunlewe, Ushoritse Itshekiri and Favour Ashe.

While the duo of Usoro and Brume are expected to make it to the final like they both did at the 2022 World indoor and outdoor championships, the trio of Ogunlewe, Itshekiri and Ashe should also make it to the 100m semifinals.