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What does Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume stand to gain by competing at the African Games in Ghana? Read more on this in the article.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) released a strong list of athletes expected to don the country's colours at the African Games in Ghana, spearheaded by Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume.
With the list being a blend of home and foreign-based athletes, it is expected that Nigeria will shine brightly in athletics as they have always done in the past.
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Amusan and Brume stand as the overwhelming favourites to dominate their events as they've done in the past, and considering how well they performed in the indoor season, the trend is mostly assured to continue.
Here are 3 reasons why both athletics superstars are in Ghana for the African Games to kick off their outdoor season.
1 - Gunning for the history books
Amusan is surprisingly listed to compete in four events - 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and her trademark event the 100m Hurdles.
The reigning champion and World Record (WR) holder in the 100mH will be gunning to win a hat-trick of titles, and also improve her Games Record of 12.68s set in 2019.
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She made her debut in 2015 and will have her eyes set on becoming the second Nigerian woman to win three consecutive titles in the same event after Vivian Chukwuemeka (Shot Put).
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14:24 - 27.01.2024
AFRICAN RECORD: Tobi Amusan blasts to ground-breaking win to kickoff 2024 season in Astana
Running in her first competition of the year, Tobi Amusan blazed to an exceptional win and broke a 25-year-old African Record in the process.
Likewise, Amusan will be aiming to surpass expectations by winning at least a medal in the 100m or 200m and helping the relay team to a second consecutive gold medal, thus adding to her iconic medal collection.
For Brume, her focus will be on becoming the second Nigerian woman after Modupe Oshikoya (1973 & 1978) to defend successfully a long jump title in the Games history.
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However, she'll have it tough against her counterparts Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor. Usoro will be gunning for her first continental title as her best of 6.87m this season is better than Brume's 6.85m, while the youngster will be the underdog that can cause a major upset.
2 - Kick off the outdoor season
With brilliant indoor seasons, Amusan ended with a new African Record of 7.75s in the 60m Hurdles, while Brume was the eighth-best jumper at 6.84m.
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03:54 - 05.02.2024
Tobi Amusan stamps her name in the history books again as Favour Ofili joins the African Record party in Boston
Nigeria's sprint queens Tobi Amusan and Favour Ofili broke the African Record in their respective events at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.
Both women will use the African Games to begin their outdoor season, and what better preparation than to start with a major continental championship?
Considering this is an Olympic year and the goal is to win a medal in Paris, successful title defenses backed by impressive performances will build their confidence for the rest of the season.
3 - Patriotism and more money
It's a known fact that Amusan and Brume are very patriotic in serving the country. They're always available for any international championship to be a source of pride to not just Nigerians but the younger athletes looking up to them.
Aside from this, there's a reported reward available from their shoe sponsor Adidas, as every international or continental medal comes with a bonus reward in their contract signing.
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17:59 - 20.01.2024
'Your kind is rare and exceptional' - Ese Brume's coach Yaya Kayode pens heartfelt message on her 27th birthday
Ese Brume's coach Kayode Yaya had the best words for the Nigerian long jump queen as she celebrated her birthday.
So what's the need of being unavailable when they can bring joy to the faces of Nigerians, extend their iconic medal collections, and win extra money to go with it?
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