Nigerian long jumper Ese Brume says her aim now is to win a Tokyo Olympics gold medal for Nigeria.
Brume told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) that she has been working hard towards this.
She said she wanted to replicate the feat of Chioma Ajunwa at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, where Ajunwa won Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
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“I have been training hard, and I am trusting God to get me a medal, and not just a medal but a gold medal.”
Brume however disclosed that she was not the only one working hard.
“Inam working towards this with my coaches and hopefully by the grace of God our hard work will not go to waste,” she said.
The long jumper however urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate preparations for athletes for Nigeria to do well at the Olympics.
The reigning African women champion who was competing for Team Delta at the NSF said the festival was however a good build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
She told NAN she has been preparing for the Olympics, even as she believed there was the need for government to intensify preparations for all Olympics-bound Nigerian athletes.
“The Federal Government needs to create a better atmosphere for all Olympics-bound athletes. We also need better training facilities.
“Apart from facilities we also need financial support so that we can take care of ourselves professionally for the Olympics, because some of us don’t have the finance.
“The support should not be just for athletes but our coaches as well. With this I can assure you that we will do well (at the Olympics),” Brume said.
She said so far she had not gotten any financial support from the government towards her preparations for the Olympics.
“Nothing has been given to me to support my preparations for the Olympics. I don’t know about others (athletes), but I am hoping they (government) will do something soon,” the Rio 2016 Olympics long jump finalist said.
The bronze medallist at the 2019 World Athletics Championships also called on relevant stakeholders to support Nigerian athletes as they intensify preparations for the Olympics.
Brume, a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, also advised that a closed camp site with weather similar to Japan should be arranged for athletes as the Olympic draws closer.
The Cyprus-based Nigerian athlete remains one of Nigeria’s best medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics.
NAN reports that the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics will now hold from July 23 to Aug. 8.
