Enekwechi Withdraws from 2026 African Championships

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the reigning African champion in shot put, will not participate in the 2026 CAA African Championships in Ghana, where the event is scheduled to run from May 12 to 17. His withdrawal was confirmed on Monday, leaving Nigeria without its top competitor in the shot put event.

Enekwechi's absence is part of a larger issue affecting Nigeria's contingent, as women's African shot put record holder Jessica Oji and decathlon national record holder Jami Schlueter also could not join due to visa issues. Enekwechi has won the African championship title three consecutive times and recently finished second at the Drake Relays with a season-best mark of 21.74m.

His last performance at the men's shot put world indoor championship saw him finish 11th with a throw of 20.04m. Enekwechi made his championship debut in 2018 in Asaba and has consistently delivered top performances, including breaking the African record with a throw of 22.10m at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.