September 18, (THEWILL) – Senator John Owan-Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports and Youth Development, has praised Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, for their standout performances at the 2023 Diamond League meet in Oregon, USA.
In a statement on Monday, the minister congratulated Amusan for successfully defending her 100m hurdles title on Sunday, with a winning time of 12.33s. He described her victory as a “beautiful way to wind down an athletics season that brought joy, tears and goosebumps”. Owan-Enoh also commended the hurdler’s “determination and mental strength”, saying it was worth emulating.
The minister went on to say he was glad Amusan was able to “restore her confidence” after the “difficult ordeal she passed through” at the World Championships, where she lost her title despite setting a world record at last year’s semi-finals. He urged Amusan and other Nigerian athletes to reflect on the season, applaud their hard work and look ahead to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Owan-Enoh also praised long jumper Ese Brume, who won silver in the Diamond League with a leap of 6.85m, narrowly missing out on gold. He lauded Brume for consistently ranking among the top global athletes in her sport, from the Olympics to Commonwealth Games. While disappointed she missed the Diamond League title, the minister said Nigeria remains proud of her achievements.
In closing, Owan-Enoh urged Brume and other athletes to stay focused on their goals as the 2024 Olympics approach. He reiterated Nigeria’s pride in its athletes’ accomplishments this season.
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.
