Ogun State Government through the Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced the adoption of Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan, a Nigerian track and field athlete of Ogun State extraction in response to the adopt-an-athlete initiative.
The adopt-an-athlete project was initiated by the Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare. The initiative was halted by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.
The 100m Sprint hurdler, Tobiloba Amusan will be supported in her preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with $20,000 by her state governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Tobiloba Amusan, 24-year-old-year-old, hails from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State and is the best sprint hurdler in Africa since Glory Alozie, another Nigerian who switched allegiance to Spain in 2001.
Amusan announced her arrival to the big stage after winning silver in the African Youth Championships in 2013 before capping it with a gold medal at the 2015 African Junior Athletics Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
She won the 2018 Commonwealth and 2019 African champion in the event. Amusan is also a two-time African Games champ
She is ranked third in the world following her feat at the World Championships in Doha in 2019.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Ogun State governor, Mr Abiodun said he found it expedient to adopt Amusan not just because she is an Indigene of the state , but because she symbolises the Nigerian spirit of talent and hard work.
Governor Abiodun added: “I like this adoption initiative, as you were speaking, I was already putting down names of who I am going to tell my sports team to go and speak with alongside some of our business people because this is a business state.
“I am very proud to hear that one of our daughters is doing well and doing us proud, every time that we find any indigene of Ogun state doing well, we support them, we throw out weight behind them.
“So Tobi Amusan is adopted this afternoon, please, help us to identify other young up and coming indigenes of the state that are doing well that we can support and nurture to actualise their dreams, we will be more than happy to do that. We will like to collaborate with you, the joy will be ours in Ogun state, but the glory is to the entire country,” he submitted.
He also indicated Ogun State Government’s desire to host the National Sports Festival just as it has commenced renovation of sport facilities across the state.
The Governor said: “We will like to host the National Sports Festival in Ogun State and I believe that you cannot find a better state than us, particularly as the Gateway State.”