The technical director of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Gabriel Okon has explained why African long jump record holder, Ese Brume’s name is in the country’s list to the Commonwealth Games despite still nursing an injury.
Sports247 reports that Okon affirmed that Brume remains one of Nigeria’s medal prospects at the Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the technical committee believes she will be back to full fitness before the competition begins on July 23rd.
This is in contrast with wild held views by observers, who insist Brume is in a race to be fit for the Glasgow Games, especially as she was not at the recent national trials and has only participated in one meet this season where she jumped 6.59m.
Okon, though, put up a strong defence, as he stressed: “Brume is a two-time CWG gold medalist and she has the best jump outdoors this season. Our projection is that by July when the Games start, she would be in her best shape.”
He also acknowledged the presence of emergent long jumper, Prestina Ochonoghor, whose name has also been included in the list of selected athletes for the Games, though she was initially omitted despite winning the national trials with a leap of 6.57m.
Sports247 gathered that Ochonoghor also has a season best of 6.69m this year, which she achieved indoors in February, although Australia’s Delta Amidzovski has the season’s best jump of 6.82m among Commonwealth countries.
Incidentally, Ochonoghor got to the women’s long jump final at the 2024 Olympic Games along with Brume and Ruth Usoro, who has a season best of 6.65m indoor but was also not at the trials, after falling short at the African Championship in May.
