Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Other Athletes Conferred With National Honours and N200 Million
Commonwealth champion Tobi Amusan and other Nigerian athletes are to receive national honours and a cash prize of 200 million from the Nigerian government.
President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Thursday, in a presidential reception done in honour of the athletes, that he had approved national honours and cash awards of 200 million for Team Nigeria contingents to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships.
"I have followed keenly your achievements at the World Championships in Oregon USA, and indeed your remarkable performance at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom," Mr Buhari said in a statement issued by his spokesman Femi Adesina. "I am very pleased that you displayed at both the personal and group levels great sporting talents and delivered for your country great podium performances".
Tobi Amusan, winner of Nigeria's gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu, Oluwafemiayo Folashade, Taiwo Liadi, Ikechukwu Obichukwu, Bose Omolayo, Favour Ofili, Nasiru Sule, Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi, Ebikewenimo Welson, Hannah Rueben and Elizabeth Oshoba were named as the recipients of the honours.
Tobi Amusan won Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal in the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA with a world record performance.
Within four months, she also successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title, which she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, with a games record in 2022 in Birmingham; and Diamond League title in Zurich, Switzerland on September 8, 2022.
Minister of Sports Sunday Dare said no Nigerian had ever achieved that remarkable performance in the history of Nigeria's sports.
Nigeria won a total of 35 medals, including 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze at the just concluded Commonwealth games.