By Onyekachukwu Utebor, Warri
Retired Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, former Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has been appointed to lead the technical and organisational planning of the 2026 Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays scheduled for November 14 in Ughelli, Delta State.
Nesiama, who is also Chairman of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Technical and Development Commission, will oversee the delivery of the eighth edition of the annual athletics competition, which is expected to attract more than 30 schools and about 500 student-athletes.
This was disclosed to newsmen in a press release signed by the Media Team of the Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA).
According to the statement, the competition’s date was confirmed by the President General Worldwide of GCUOBA, His Royal Majesty Albert Akpomudje, SAN, during the association’s latest National Executive Council meeting.
The association said the relays would retain its traditional second-Saturday-of-November calendar, with this year’s edition expected to provide another major platform for young athletes to compete and showcase their abilities.
Nesiama’s appointment comes shortly after the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, scheduled for November 6 to 10, where he is expected to serve as one of the Technical Directors for the inaugural African edition of the Games.
The GCUOBA said his experience in athletics administration would be valuable in ensuring effective organisation and technical delivery of the competition.
At the GCU Relays, Nesiama will work with the Delta State Sports Commission and the Nigerian Association of Athletics Technical Officials (NAATO) to ensure proper coordination, timing and officiating.
The Delta State Sports Commission is expected to provide the TimeTronics electronic timing system for the competition.
The organisers described the GCU Relays as an important platform for the development of school athletics and the discovery of emerging talents.
The statement said the competition had become “an important platform for reviving the historic rivalry among old secondary schools in Nigerian athletics.”
Although the 2026 competition will be the eighth edition, the relays is entering its ninth year of existence after one edition was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 30 schools and about 500 student-athletes are expected to participate in the competition, which will be staged on the tartan track of Government College Ughelli.
The athletics facility was built and donated to the school through the NNPC-SHELL Joint Venture.
The organisers said the competition would provide young athletes with valuable exposure and an opportunity to test themselves against their peers while giving coaches and athletics administrators the chance to identify promising talents.
Meanwhile, the GCUOBA NEC approved other activities for the association, including its annual dinner in Benin City in October and the Lagos Luncheon scheduled for December.
With Nesiama now at the helm and the competition date confirmed, preparations are expected to intensify among participating schools, athletes, coaches and technical officials ahead of the November championship.
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