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By Amaechi Agbo

The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Sunday Dare has applauded Ese Brume for winning Bronze Medal in Long Jump event for Nigeria and Tobi Amusan for her performance in the just concluded World Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar.

In a message via his Twitter handle, the Minister who had made several tweets showing he was abreast of the activities of the Team Nigerian athletics in the Championship in Doha, Sunday evening, said, “Doha: Ese Brume. Congrats and thanks for the Bronze medal. Still a champion. Also, Tobi Amusan thanks for competing with the best. Still a champion. The future is bright. Thank you for making Nigeria proud!”

Ese Brume had recorded a 6.91m in the Long Jump event winning the only medal for the Nigeria on Sunday. She has also recorded her name as the first Nigerian to win medal at the World Athletics Championship since 2013.

When asked how she was feeling to win the first medal for Nigeria in Doha, Ese said “It means a lot for me. I’m super excited, because I have not been so strong all season because I wasn’t able to perform at bigger competitions. I cannot be more happy winning this medal.”

Nigeria had not produced a medallist in the World Athletics Championships since Blessing Okagbare won silver and bronze in Moscow in 2013, but Ese Brume bucked the trend, as she won Bronze on the last day of the Championships.

Tobi Amusan after missing out on a podium finish in the Women’s 100mH said “I’m glad to come out here and execute the plan and reaching the final, held it down, fourth place is the worst you want to be, regardless I give thanks to God…it’s a life lesson”

Brume, the African Games and Commonwealth Games Champion, qualified for the final with the second-best jump in the qualifiers.

Under the weight of expectation to win her first world championship medal, Brume delivered when it matter most, as her second round 6.91m effort brought home the Bronze for her and Nigeria’s first World Championship medal in 6 years.

Elsewhere, Tobi Amusan came agonizingly close to winning her first global outdoor medal, as she finished just 0.02s out of the medals after posting 12.49s in the final of the women’s 100m Hurdles.

However, Amusan will take solace in the fact that she equalled her Personal Best (PB) of 12.48s when she won her semis earlier in the day. Nigeria’s Oluwatobiloba Amusan had kept the hopes of Nigeria winning a medal at the 2019 World Championships, when she powered a new Personal Best (PB) of 12.48s to run the fastest time in women’s 100m Hurdles heats