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Long jumper, Ese Brume’s failure to attend the Delta 2022 National Sports Festival will not in any way affect her relationship with Delta State government, an official of the State Sports Commission has said.
Brume, who was the poster girl for the 21st edition of the Games, did not show up at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, throughout the duration of the competition, fuelling speculations that she shunned the festival because Delta State did not host her after Oregon 2022 World Championships, where she got a silver medal and the Commonwealth Games, where she won gold.
Brume was earlier listed to compete for Team Delta in long jump and the relays at the Sports Festival.
A Delta Sports Commission official revealed in a chat with The Guardian, yesterday, that Brume’s absence at the sports festival had nothing to do with the state’s inability to host her after Oregon 2022 and Commonwealth Games.
“We don’t have any problem with Ese Brume,” the official said. “I want to tell you also that her absence during the sports festival has nothing to do with government’s inability to host her.
“What happened was that Brume already had a programme, which coincided with the Delta 2022 National Sports Festival. Don’t forget that the original date of the sports festival was moved from November 2 to 15 to November 30 to December 10. That must have affected her plans. We don’t have any problem with Brume as being insinuated in some quarters.”
The Guardian recalls that some officials of Team Delta were unhappy with Brume after it was discovered she would not compete in the long jump and relay events during the sports festival.
“Brume wanted Delta State government to treat her to a big reception like Ogun did for Tobi Amusan after Oregon 2022 Championship,” one official stated then. “Her absence from the festival is not giving Delta sports officials any headaches. We feel comfortable with the local athletes, who are about to win the Games.”
Team Delta won the 21st National Sports Festival with 320 gold medals, the highest ever recorded by any state in history of the Games.
