September 15, (THEWILL) — Oluwatobi Amusan, the world record holder in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, found herself at the centre of a public dispute with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria during the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The event began on September 13 and will continue until September 21, with Nigeria sending a team of 15 athletes.
Amusan posted a video on Snapchat on the evening of September 12, displaying what she received as competition gear. In the recording, she held up a small plastic bag containing her allocated gear, pointing out the lack of a proper suitcase, spikes, trainers, and other items that athletes from other nations appeared to have in abundance. She voiced frustration over the situation, noting that officials had collected shoe sizes from the team but failed to provide footwear, forcing her to consider using her own training tights for the competition.
The video quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing attention to ongoing problems in Nigerian athletics administration. Public reaction included criticism of the Federation, with many referencing similar incidents in previous years that had led athletes to question their loyalty to the country. The Federation responded the following day through its president, Tonobok Okowa, who rejected Amusan’s account. Okowa stated that the kits had been distributed in batches, and Amusan had only shown a portion of what she received. He explained that the gear came from Hiracer, a sportswear company sponsoring 20 nations at the championships, including Nigeria, Algeria, Zambia, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and Myanmar.
According to Okowa, the items included spike shoes and covers, all provided free of charge, with no differences in quality or quantity compared to other sponsored teams. He added that World Athletics had supplied bags to all participants, making a separate travel bag unnecessary from the sponsor. Okowa also mentioned that Amusan had travelled to Tokyo in business class, an arrangement made at her request, while the rest of the team flew economy. He emphasised that the Federation had met this demand without further requests from her.
Hiracer supported the Federation’s position by confirming uniform distribution across all sponsored countries. The company also announced bonuses for medal winners: $30,000 for gold, $20,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze.
Former Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare entered the discussion on Sunday, defending Amusan on social media. Okagbare criticised the Federation for dismissing the concerns and bringing up the business class travel, which she viewed as unrelated to the kit quality. She accused officials of sabotage, drawing parallels to events during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where athletes faced similar shortages despite available gear. Okagbare recalled a sponsorship deal with a shoe company in 2021 that fell through due to interference from those in power within the Ministry of Sports and the Federation. She claimed to have received threats for speaking out at the time.
This incident fits into a pattern of administrative failures in Nigerian athletics. In 2019, the Federation signed a $2.7 million agreement with Puma to supply uniforms for four years, under which each athlete would receive 40 items. The deal included bonuses of $15,000 dollars for gold, 5,000 for silver, and 3,000 for bronze. However, Puma withdrew after a video surfaced of an athlete rewashing a uniform, and reports indicated that the sports minister at the time blocked the kits, feeling excluded from negotiations. That same year, 10 Nigerian athletes were barred from the 2020 Olympics because the Federation neglected to register them for required doping tests.
More recently, in 2024, sprinter Favour Ofili missed the 100 metres event at the Paris Olympics due to registration errors by Federation officials. An investigation by the Federal Government confirmed the oversight, leading to Ofili’s decision to switch nationality to Turkey in 2025. Samuel Ogazi, another Nigerian athlete, has spoken about welfare concerns, including being compelled to compete while injured. These repeated lapses have prompted calls for reforms, with athletes and observers highlighting a lack of accountability in sports governance.
Despite the distraction, Amusan performed well in her opening races on Sunday, winning heat six of the 100 metres hurdles in 12.53 seconds and qualifying automatically for the semi-finals. She also won the final heat, finishing ahead of Devynne Charlton in 12.69s and Elena Carraro in 12.86s. She is positioned as Nigeria’s primary medal prospect.
Okowa urged focus on competition rather than the dispute, expressing confidence in the team’s potential to secure medals. The federation maintains that the kits meet standards and that any issues stem from misunderstandings about delivery processes. Whatever the actual truth might be such conflicts erode athlete morale and contribute to talent loss, as seen with Ofili’s departure. The broader effects on Nigerian athletics remain evident, with funding shortages and bureaucratic hurdles often cited as root causes.
Independent oversight could help address these persistent problems, ensuring better support for athletes in future events. The controversy has reignited discussions on the need for structural changes to prevent recurrence and to retain top talent within the country. With the championships ongoing, the focus now shifts to whether the team can overcome these internal challenges to achieve success on the track.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
