Tobi Amusan: Roses bloom even in adversity

Tobi Amusan (Photo: AFP)

Life is full of challenges, obstacles, and hardships, but one thing that gives us hope is the ability to overcome them. The ability to rise from opprobrium at the highest level of any endeavour is what makes the brightest of the world’s stars. That attribute was what Oluwatobilola Amusan demonstrated at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Eleven years ago in London, Nigeria’s hope for a medal at the Olympic Games rested on the shoulders of one athlete, Blessing Okagbare, after all the nation’s flagbearers were eliminated in their respective fields. It ended in a nightmare, which hunted the country for over four years.

Okagbare’s era has since ended, no thanks to a doping saga, which earned her an 11-year ban from athletics.

Sport, generally, is like the barracks, where new set of military personnel emerges yearly. Even before the light finally dimmed on Okagbare’s era in Nigerian athletics, two promising stars had appeared on the scene.

While long jumper, Ese Brume, shot into limelight by emerging as Nigeria’s last athlete standing at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Amusan showed up in the 100m hurdles, and has been the most consistent hurdler the country ever produced.

Prior to the 19th World Athletics Championship, tagged Budapest 2023, Team Nigeria’s hopes of making it to the podium were pinned on the shoulders of Brume and Amusan. Brume got a silver medal in the long jump event at the last edition in Oregon, U.S., while Amusan scorched to a 12.12 world record before storming home first in the final to win a historic gold medal.

Here in Budapest, Brume came fourth in the long jump final on Day 2 of the competition to narrow Nigeria’s hope for a medal on Amusan. But everything came crashing