The immediate past Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, CON, has described Thursday’s ruling of an arbitration panel that lifted the provisional suspension, slammed on Nigeria’s world record holder in women’s 100 meters hurdles, Oluwatobi Amusan by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) as timely and a huge relief.
The former Sports Minister stated this in a congratulatory message sent to Amusan, in which he also said the verdict was justice well served, and a vindication of the hurdler as “a clean athlete, that she’s always been”.
Chief Dare told the reigning world champion that he was personally overjoyed to have received the cheering news that she [Tobi Amusan] has successfully appealed her provisional ban.
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“I join millions of your fans in Nigerian and in the diaspora to celebrate the good tidings, and look forward to the successful defence of your title, in Budapest,” the former Sports Minister stated.
While urging Amusan to quickly put her trials behind, Chief Dare reminded her that the best response she can have for her critics is to scale every height and that includes winning the Gold medal in Budapest.
Dare added: “Your vindication and clearance to race again, is a big relief for the whole of 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.”
The Oyo State-born veteran Journalist, politician, and Sports Administrator, also urged Amusan to gather her emotions, stay focused and remain prayerful, while imbibing the proverbial ‘Nigerian Spirit’ to overcome all the pains she’s faced in the last month; to conquer the world again, in Budapest.
Chief Dare noted with pride that at the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA in 2022 Amusan excited several sports lovers 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,” Dare said.
The former minister expressed the hope that Team Nigeria which is represented by a strong team of 26 track and field athletes, including women’s long Jump Bronze medalist, in Eugene Oregon, Ese Brume, and a strong 4×100 meters men’s relay team, at the 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships, which gets underway tomorrow, August 19, and runs until August 28th re-enacts or improves on their podium performances, in the last edition.
