By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria and Botswana, alongside the Dominican Republic from South America, have officially pulled out of the World Athletics Relays set to take place in China.
The global competition is scheduled to commence on Sunday, 11 May 2025.
The three nations cited visa-related issues as the primary reason for their withdrawal, alleging that China either failed to issue visas to their athletes or released them less than 48 hours before the event.
In a statement, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) said, “With deep regret, we, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, announce our withdrawal from the World Relays following unacceptable visa delays by Chinese authorities.
“Despite our diligent efforts processing documentation since February, our athletes have faced numerous obstacles — from embassy embarrassment to last-minute visa issuance that made competition attendance physically impossible.
“The impact has been severe: wasted training preparations, significant financial losses, lost qualification opportunities, and devastating psychological effects on our athletes who were ready to represent Nigeria with pride.
“Chinese authorities frustrated our participation by claiming they didn’t have contact with their own embassy in Washington and Abuja, also providing incorrect invitation letters and changing the application portal twice!
“Their requirement for a special ‘Verification Letter of Invitation’ was poorly communicated and inconsistently applied, while they demanded police reports and even bank statements from all participating athletes, coaches, and officials.
“We stand by our decision to withdraw, as it became clear our team wouldn’t receive fair treatment or the opportunity to compete.
“We thank our athletes for their dedication and resilience through this challenging situation.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Chinese embassy granted visa approvals for the Nigerian officials scheduled to attend the 2025 World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.
