Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has downplayed concerns raised by world record holder Tobi Amusan over the quality of kits supplied to Nigerian athletes at the ongoing 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Amusan had earlier criticised the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), alleging that the country’s representatives were given poorly packaged gear in nylon bags, unlike other nations, which presented their athletes’ kits in branded suitcases. She also pointed out that despite officials collecting shoe sizes, no footwear was included in the distribution.
Reacting during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, September 15, Dikko insisted that the kits procured from global sportswear brand HiRacer were of the same standard provided to athletes from several other countries at the championships.
“The kits are not inferior. I thought the AFN should have been praised for quickly getting the transaction with HiRacer,” Dikko said.
He stressed that the controversy may have stemmed from how the gear was presented rather than its quality.
“If you look at other countries, they are also using similar kits from HiRacer. It is just probably about the packaging because it was not put in a box or bought in bulk like others are doing,” he explained.
Dikko further noted that Amusan’s frustrations might be linked to presentation and logistics rather than the actual performance value of the gear.
“Probably she has an issue with the packaging, the quantity, yes. But the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has already explained that they are providing the kits in bits and pieces, so it shouldn’t really be an issue,” he added.
Nigeria has a history of kit-related controversies, dating back to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, when athletes decried poor preparation and delayed kits. Amusan’s latest remarks have reignited debates on whether the AFN has learned lessons from those past lapses.
Dikko, however, maintained that Nigeria’s athletes are not at a disadvantage. “The athletes have been using the same kits, and those kits are comparable in quality to what any other athlete is using. That is the situation with the kits,” he said.
The post Dikko Dismisses Claims Of Inferior Kits, Says Amusan’s Grievance Was About Packaging appeared first on Naija News.
