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By: Johnny Edward
World record hurdler, Tobi Amusan, will miss this weekend’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland after she was excluded from Nigeria’s final entry, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Our correspondent learnt that Amusan passed on the opportunity to feature at the championship to intensify her preparation for the forthcoming African Games in Ghana, which holds from March 8 to 23.
“Amusan is a professional athlete and at this level, their managers and coaches choose the meets they take part in to avoid injuries and burnouts before major championships,” a close source to Amusan told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“But she will be back for the African Games; that I can assure you, barring any injuries, which we don’t pray for.”
Amusan had raised expectations of becoming the third Nigerian after Ese Brume and Glory Alozie to win at the World Athletics’ flagship events — indoor and outdoor — after setting two African indoor records within days in the 60m hurdles this season.
She also fueled hopes of having a Nigerian female indoor champion, after the late Sunday Bada and Olusoji Fasuba, who won the 400m and 60m titles in 1997 and 2008 respectively.
In Amusan’s absence, Nigeria’s medal hopes now le on Brume, who will be seeking to win gold after becoming the first Nigerian long jumper to win medals at the world indoor and outdoor championships.
The long jumper won bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar and silver at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, USA. She also won silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
The 28-year-old is the only woman on the list in Nigeria’s final entry along with Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Edosie Ibadin and Dubem Nwachukwu confirmed their participation in Glasgow.
Enekwechi will compete in the shot put event, while Ibadin and Nwachukwu compete in the 400m and 800m respectively.
Nigeria also enlisted Sikiru Adeyemi, Chidi Okezie, Nwachukwu and Ibadin in its 4x400m team. They will compete against the USA, Poland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovak Republic and Kenya.