Dare charges Amusan to boldly defend world title in Budapest
The immediate past Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare, has charged Tobi Amusan to put behind her recent travails and boldly defend her World title at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary. In his congratulatory message to the world record holder, Dare described Thursday’s ruling of an arbitration panel […]
Poster-girl of Nigerian athletics, Tobi Amusan, celebrates after winning Nigeria’s first ever gold medal in World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA
The immediate past Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare, has charged Tobi Amusan to put behind her recent travails and boldly defend her World title at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
In his congratulatory message to the world record holder, Dare described Thursday’s ruling of an arbitration panel that lifted the provisional suspension slammed on Amusan by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) as timely and a huge relief.
He said “I join millions of your fans in Nigerian and in the diaspora to celebrate the good tidings, and look forward to the successful defense of your title in Budapest.
“Your vindication and clearance to race again is a big relief to Nigeria athletics whose “A” rating on the AIU and World Anti-Doping rankings has been a major concern and a source of worry, even while I was superintending over the Sports Ministry.
“Now, you have to gather your emotions, stay focused and remain prayerful, while imbibing the proverbial ‘Nigerian Spirit’ to overcome all the pains you faced in the last one month so as to conquer the world again in Budapest,” said Dare.
While going down memory lane, the former Minister also recalled how at the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, Amusan thrilled many with her spectacular world-record performance.
“First, as the poster girl of Nigeria’s track and field, your time of 12.12 Secs in the semifinals was a new World Record. Moments after that, and on the same night, you lowered the mark to a wind-assisted 12:06 Secs in the final to take the gold medal. You can achieve even more in Budapest,” he said.
Dare, therefore, expressed the hope that Team Nigeria which is represented by a strong team of 26 track and field athletes, including women’s long Jump silver medalist in Oregon, Ese Brume, will improve on their podium performances at the 2023 Championship which begins August 19.