Nigeria Has Not Been Fair to Me, Ese Brume Laments News

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Nigeria Has Not Been Fair to Me, Ese Brume Laments

By Daily Sports on August 23, 2018

Commonwealth and African gold medallist in the women's long jump, Ese Brume is sad over what she describes as 'unfair' treatment to her by the country.

Brume, who won a gold medal for Team Nigeria at the recently concluded Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship, says she was being pushed to the wall by administrators of athletics in Nigeria, adding that a time would come when she will no longer 'stomach it.'

"I am really sad at the moment," the ever smiling Brume opened up yesterday in a chat with The Guardian.

"The Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship was an international event, and every athlete, who represented Team Nigeria was supposed to be given international treatment.

We were told that our daily allowance was $100, which should translate to $700. That was aside the $3,000 each gold medallist was supposed to get.

"It was a rude shock for some of us to receive just N107, 000 as total allowance for the duration of the game. That is rubbish. Some of us had to reject it because we considered it as an insult."

The Guardian learnt that apart from Brume, two other members of Team Nigeria for the Asaba 2018 Championship, sprinter Divine Oduduru and hurdler Tobi Amusan equally turned down the N107,000 allowance.

It was not clear if the money came from the organisers of the championship or the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

Another major worry for Ese Brume is the attitude of Nigerian sports administrators to preparation of foreign-based athletes for major championships.

"Nobody got in touch with me throughout my preparation for the Asaba 2018 Championship.

Now that we are done with the African Championship, preparations is supposed to begin ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games, but Nigeria won't think in that direction for now.

Nobody cares how I am coping in combining education with my athletics career in North Cyprus. Where do they think I will get money to take care of myself in North Cyprus? It is not encouraging," Brume stated.

At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, Brume was Nigeria's last athlete standing after all the 'big names' failed to live up to expectation. (Guardian)

•Photo shows Brume

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 23, 2018