THE Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has included Tobi Amusan in its contingent to the 2023 World Championships taking place in Budapest, Hungary.
The AFN also included her name, and that of U.S.-based sprinter, Godson Brume, on the list of athletes that will fly Nigeria’s flag in Budapest.
The AFN hinged its decision on the hope that the provisional suspension of the reigning world 100m hurdles record holder would be lifted on time for her to participate in the event.
The competition will run from the 19th to the 27th of August. The AFN had earlier planned to unveil Team Nigeria’s list to Budapest at the weekend but shelved the plan hoping for ‘good news’ from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, while speaking with newsmen said even though the AIU is yet to clear Amusan as of Monday, the body decided to include her name because “we have to submit the list to Budapest latest by midnight Monday. We have included Tobi’s name until AIU decides on her fate,” he stated.
The AIU handed Amusan a provisional suspension for three whereabouts failures last month, which saw the Nigerian dropping from the third spot in her event three weeks ago to 11th position in the world ranking.
She has not been able to compete since she ran 12.35 seconds at the Istvan Guylai Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, on 18 July.
Also, the AFN said it decided to include U.S.-based sprinter, Godson Brume, in the list despite reports that he has pulled out of the championships.
The 20-year-old, who helped Nigeria’s 4x100m relay team to qualify for the championships and was scheduled to run in the 100m event, took to his Twitter page to announce his withdrawal in the early hours of Monday.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me. This is a hard decision for me, but after much consideration, I have decided to focus on getting healthy for next year… with that being said, I will not be competing in Budapest this August.”
Some athletics followers see Brume’s withdrawal as a big blow to Nigeria’s aspiration to win a 4x100m relay medal for the first time since 1997, but the AFN said Monday that it would not remove his name from the list.
“We don’t really know what has happened between last Thursday and now, but we are trying to establish contact with him. I am sure we will talk it over with him; Godson Brume will be part of our team in Budapest,” Onikeku stated.
Brume was at the AFN secretariat in Abuja, last Thursday, in the company of other athletes and officials, who were seeking their visas to Budapest.
The sprinter ran a 9.90secs lifetime best over the 100m on his way to winning the silver medal at the 2023 NCAA outdoor championships last June.
The time, the fastest run by a Nigerian since Divine Oduduru ran 9.86secs in 2019, is also the third fastest by a Nigerian over the distance behind Olusoji Fasuba and Oduduru.
The AFN listed home-based stars, Samuel Ogazi and Oke Opeyemi, among the athletes that would carry the nation’s flag in Budapest.
Others on the list include U.S.-based Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola, Nathaniel Ezekiel, Raphael Egbuchulem, Rosemary Chukwuma, Ofili Favour, Tima Godbless, Faith Okwose, Tiana Eyakpobeyen, Uko Imaobong, Patience George, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Ruth Usoro and Success Umukoro.
Eighteen-Eleven Media