Chidi Okezie, a gold medallist from the African Games, expresses confidence that Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team will perform well as they prepare for the heats on Friday.

Okezie did not advance to the semi-finals of the men’s 400m event, finishing fifth with a time of 46.92 seconds in the repechage round.

He narrowly missed automatic qualification, having recorded a time of 45.52 seconds and placing fourth in the initial round.

His teammate, Samuel Ogazi, successfully reached the final, and Okezie is optimistic that their individual strengths will enhance the team's performance.

They will be joined by two of the following athletes: Dubem Amene, Dubem Nwachukwu, and Emmanuel Ojeli. Okezie remarked, “It is exhilarating to finally compete in the Olympics.

The mixed relay team achieved a remarkable milestone by breaking the national record, which is truly commendable. For the men’s 4x400m, we have high expectations; each member of our team is capable of running splits in the 44-second range, if not faster. If we can synchronize our efforts, and with divine favor, we anticipate remarkable outcomes.”

Ogazi, a finalist in the men’s 400m, surpassed the 45-second mark three times during his races and achieved two personal bests.

He recorded a new personal best of 44.50 seconds before improving it further in the semi-finals with a time of 44.41 seconds. However, his time of 44.73 seconds in the final placed him in seventh position.