Nigeria’s 400 metres relay team

Nigeria to feature at the men and women’s 4x400m categories at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Indoor Championships, Portland, the largest city of Oregon State, U.S.

IAAF’s Communication Department said on its portal on Thursday that the championships were scheduled from March 17 to March 20.

It said that Nigeria would contest alongside Bahamas, Belgium, Guyana, Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S.

It added that “IAAF received entries for the men’s and women’s 4x400m.

“The nations that will be contesting in that event in the men category are, Bahamas, Belgium, Guyana, Jamaica, Nigeria, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and U.S.

“Countries in the women category are Jamaica, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and U.S.,’’ IAAF portal said.

It noted that “much of the spotlight would be on the combined events as Oregon-based Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton would be in action.

“World and Olympic decathlon champion, Eaton will be aiming for his third successive world indoor heptathlon title, while Theisen-Eaton will be looking to win her first global title.

“The size of the combined events fielded for this year’s championships have been increased for the first time since 1997.

“The pentathlon and heptathlon will have 12 athletes in each competition,’’ it added.

It said that the invites for the combined events in Portland were based on the 2015 IAAF Combined Events Challenge from last year’s outdoor world season lists.

According to IAAF, athletes for the Heptathlon field are Curtis Beach (U.S.), Larbi Bourrada (ALG), Mathias Brugger (GER), Ashton Eaton (USA), Kurt Felix (GRN), Adam Sebastian Helcelet (CZE), Oleksiy Kasyanov (UKR).

Others are Jeremy Lelievre (FRA), Tim Nowak (GER), Petter Olson (SWE), Samuel Remedios (POR) and Jorge Urena (ESP). (NAN)