Nigerian sprinter James Taiwo Emmanuel has described representing the country as a proud moment, despite the men’s 4x100m team falling short of qualification at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone.
Competing alongside Favour Ashe, Tejiri Godwin, and Chidera Ezeakor, the team finished fifth in their heat with a time of 38.31 seconds and later placed third in the repechage with 38.50 seconds.
Read Also: Dayo Israel Urges Nigerian Youths to Embrace Sports as a Pathway to Success. …Tasks NSC to Do More After Global Sporting Feats. | Sports247 Nigeria
“It’s an honour to represent Nigeria,” Emmanuel said.
According to him, although the team did not achieve their qualification target, the experience gained competing at that level is invaluable.
“It’s a learning curve,” he implied.
Emmanuel highlighted the intensity and quality of competition as key takeaways from the event.
“It’s very competitive,” he noted.
He stressed that the focus now is on improvement, using the lessons learned to perform better in future competitions.
“I want to get better,” he added.
The sprinter also expressed readiness to remain part of the national setup and contribute whenever called upon.
“I’ll stay ready,” he said.
With upcoming meets scheduled, including competitions in Accra, Emmanuel is determined to build on this experience.
“We move forward,” he stressed.
As Nigeria continues to refine its relay teams, young athletes like Emmanuel will play a crucial role in shaping the future.
For him, the message is clear.
Take the experience.
Learn from it.
And improve.
Because in athletics, every race is a step toward becoming better.
