Retired Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, a former Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has been appointed to head the Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays as the eighth edition of the annual athletics competition is scheduled for November 14, 2026.
Nesiama, who is also Chairman of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Technical and Development Commission, will oversee the organisational and technical delivery of this year’s competition, which is expected to attract more than 30 schools and about 500 student-athletes to Ughelli, Delta State.
This was disclosed, made available to The NEWSGURU Online in a press release signed by the Media Team of the Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA).
According to the statement, the 2026 GCU Relays will retain its traditional second-Saturday-of-November calendar, with the date formally 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 Nesiama’s appointment was expected to bring his extensive experience in athletics administration and technical management to the organisation of the competition.
It added that his assignment at the GCU Relays would come 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 statement said Nesiama would work closely with the Delta State Sports Commission and the Nigerian Association of Athletics Technical Officials (NAATO) to ensure effective technical coordination and smooth conduct of the competition.
The Delta State Sports Commission is expected to provide the TimeTronics electronic timing system for the event, while NAATO will support the technical officiating.
The organisers described the GCU Relays as more than an inter-school athletics competition, saying it had become an important platform for developing young talents and preserving the sporting traditions of Nigeria’s old secondary schools.
The statement said the competition had become “an important platform for reviving the historic rivalry among old secondary schools in Nigerian athletics.”
The 2026 event will be the eighth edition of the GCU Relays, although the competition 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 take place on the tartan track of Government College Ughelli.
The athletics facility was built and donated to the school through the NNPC-SHELL Joint Venture.
According to the organisers, the continued staging of the relays provides young athletes with an opportunity to compete against their peers, gain valuable experience and attract the attention of coaches and athletics administrators.
The competition also seeks to revive the traditional sporting rivalry among Nigeria’s old schools while creating a platform for the discovery and development of emerging athletics talents.
The GCUOBA NEC also approved other activities for the association, including its annual dinner in Benin City in October and the Lagos Luncheon scheduled for December.
With the date confirmed and a new head appointed, preparations are expected to intensify ahead of the November championship, as participating schools, athletes, coaches and technical officials prepare for what organisers hope will be another successful edition of the GCU Relays.