OPINION:WHY NIGERIA’S GOLD MEDALIST TOBI AMUSAN SHED TEARS WHEN NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS PLAYED
When Tobi Amusan climbed the stage of the 2022 World Athletics Championships to pick up the Gold medal.. she had no tears streaming down her eyes..
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Then the national anthem of Nigeria was played.. Tears rolled down her eyes!
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Tobi Amusan remembered how a country that refused to sponsor it’s athletes were enjoying stolen heroism.. How criminal politicians will steal her personal efforts for their own social media publicity but none even came to her aid on the road to Oregon, USA.
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Tobi remembered the Ministry of Youth and Sports that dropped them in the middle of no where, no allowances, no proper care was going to take an applause they didn’t deserve.
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Tobi Amusan cried as the anthem of shame was played.. How the country made them look like thieves, bandits and Unknown Gun Athletes as they were humiliated from one drug check to another..
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She remembered the particular incident of how they slept at the airport lounge on arrival and had to move straight to the open fields without care until some richer athletes dipped hands into their pockets and did an “akawo” to help out because Nigeria and the embassy never had a proper arrangement in place for them!
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She was worried that instead of going back to the hotel to rest and celebrate her gold medal, she is going back to wash the one track suit and jerseys that a country as rich as Nigeria offered them..
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At a point, she looked round the whole stadium to at least wave to her fans.. but realised that there was no “Green and White fan” anywhere in the stadium. Nigeria has sent no soul cheer them up but the budgets at home is filled with monies for fans.. which the Ministers and their girlfriends have looted and collected, travelled with the team to the USA to squander in various malls and hotels while the athletes run their lives out on the tracks..
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As the anthem got to that line of “one Nation bound in Freedom.. bla bla bla”.. she saw herself like a liar. Lying to the whole world about a Freedom and a one nation that doesn’t exist. How the youths are being incarcerated, either in the hands of government or in the hands of bandits..
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Tobi tried to hold back tears.. but how possible is it?? When Nigerian youths are talking about voting in a next president who said they should not worry about exchange rate. That their salaries will be paid in Naira while here, she is receiving $100,000..
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Tobi Amusan knows that her neck can hang more medals and more youths in Nigeria can do more.. but they don’t want to
