Team Nigeria’s hope of winning a medal in the shot put appears to have received a serious setback after defending champion and Nigerian shot put record holder Chukwuebuka Enekwechi withdrew from the 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Enekwechi was listed as part of the initial 45-athlete squad to represent Nigeria and was considered a top contender for the gold medal.
The latest development was confirmed by Making of Champions via their official X handle on Monday.
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“Another withdrawal for Nigeria — Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will not be participating at the 2026 African Championships in Ghana. Big Chuks will not be defending the title he won three consecutive times. Emmanuel Audu and Divine Oladipo will represent Nigeria in the shot put events in Accra.”
Despite this withdrawal, Enekwechi has been dominant in 2026, opening his season with a 20.82m throw to win at the Orlen Cup in Poland. He has held the African Championship title for several consecutive events.
His absence is a significant blow to Team Nigeria’s medal prospects in the men’s field events.
