Ese Brume Equals Okagbare’s Bronze Win For Team Nigeria at Tokyo Games

Nigeria’s name appeared on the Tokyo games medals table this Tuesday after Ese Brume won the country’s first medal a Bronze in the long jump.

In the final, Brume placed 3rd with 6.97metres.

Current world champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany however went home with the gold medal, while 6-Time world champion Brittney Reese of the USA took the silver medal.

Team Nigeria will later today add another medal to the kitty when Blessing Oborududu meets the world champion America’s Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the female wrestling final.

The bout will take place by 1:15 pm Nigeria Time with Oborududu already assured of at least a silver medal irrespective of the outcome of the final bout.

Meanwhile, 12 Nigerian athletes has been cleared by the Integrity unit of World Athletics to participate fully at the Tokyo Olympics.

Reigning Nigeria sprint queen and 100/200 Metres record holder, Blessing Okagbare tops the list of those to compete in the athletics event of the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics which begins on Friday.

Okagbare who is making her fourth appearance at the games will be competing in the women’s 100 metres heat on Friday.
Also cleared to contest are sprint hurdler, Tobiloba Amusan who is ranked number four in the 100 Metres hurdles; long jumper Ese Brume who tops the world list in her event coming to the games and Grace Nwokocha, the home-based sensation who clocked 11.09 seconds in March at the MOC Grand Prix in Lagos to seal her qualification for the Tokyo Games.

Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who made it to the event’s final at the World Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar in 2019 is also cleared to compete.
The 4×400 Metres mixed relay quartet of Imaobong Nse Uko, Patience Okon-George, Nataniel Samson and Ifeanyi Ojeli are also cleared to compete and will be in action on Friday in the first semifinal heat.

Prince Adeniyi Adisa Beyioku, Secretary-General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria says the athletes are in good spirits as they are determined to return Nigeria to the podium for the first time since 2008 when Okagbare and the women’s 4×100 Metres won Nigeria’s last medals in track and field.

Athletics accounts for 13 of the 25 medals won by the country at the games and two of the three gold medals.