WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP: BRUME TOPS TEAM NIGERIA’S LIST DESPITE AMUSAN’S ABSENCE

Tobiloba Amusan, the current world champion in the 100-meter women’s hurdles, may not have made it to the next 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

This comes after the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) left her name off of its list of competitors for the world championship on Tuesday night.

Amusan was nominated for Nigeria while her arbitration with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) was being resolved, according to AFN Technical Director Samuel Onikeku, who was mentioned in the Guardian.

Amusan says she is clean and has nothing to hide while contesting her temporary suspension for missing three whereabouts tests in a 12-month period.

The AIU had stated that they will rule on Amusan’s appeal before the World Championship got underway in Budapest.

The AFN did not include Amusan on the list made public on Tuesday, though.

The tandem of Udodi Onwuzurike and Godson Brume, who had a good season in the United States with respective Colleges and met the qualifying standards for the 200m and 100m races, is conspicuously absent from the squad.

Ese Brume, who has medaled in the last two World Championships in Doha and Oregon, is at the top of the list of athletes traveling to Budapest.

Many are anxiously awaiting to see if the African record holder in the women’s long jump event would advance one step further and win gold in Budapest after winning bronze in Doha and silver in Oregon.

Apart from Brume, the veteran warhorse, Rosemary Chukwuma, Favour Ofili, Success Umukoro, and Ruth Usoro all made the cut.

The group also included Deborah Oke, Imaobong Uko, Nse Uko, and Pamela Amaechi.

Itshekiri Usheoritshe, Ashe Favour, Seye Ogunlewe, Alaba Akintola, Fakorede Adekalu, Karlington Anunagba, and Enekwechi Chukwuebuka (shot put) were among the notable male athletes from Nigeria who made the list.

At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, the AFN recently held tryouts to evaluate athletes’ abilities.

The Federation only chose competitors who met the standards and deadlines set by World Athletics for the tournament, despite warning that those who skipped the trial would not be chosen.