An advisory reflection to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria AFN, and Team Management.
Mba Idika Uduma.
As a behavioural health professional, social worker and lifelong student of sport, I offer this reflection with the utmost respect for Tobi Amusan, her coaching team and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. My intention is neither to criticise nor to second-guess decisions made by those closest to her. Rather, it is to encourage a broader conversation about protecting our elite athletes as they prepare for the world’s biggest competitions.
One observation remained with me throughout the Commonwealth Games. Several of Jamaica’s biggest athletics stars were absent from the Games. While each athlete undoubtedly had personal reasons for their decision, it appears that many of the world’s leading competitors chose to preserve their physical, mental and emotional resources for the World Athletics Championships—the pinnacle event of the season.
This is not a criticism of the Commonwealth Games, or a criticism of the scheduling of two major championships so close together. That is a discussion for another day. Every athlete, coach and federation must make decisions based on their own circumstances.
My reflection is simply this: sometimes, in pursuing medals today, we may unintentionally compromise the opportunity to achieve something greater tomorrow.
Tobi Amusan is not just another athlete. She is the world record holder, one of the faces of global athletics and Nigeria’s greatest athletics ambassador. During the Commonwealth Games, she was not only expected to compete, but also to mentor younger athletes, inspire a nation, fulfil leadership responsibilities, participate in relay events and carry the emotional expectations of millions of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, some of her closest international rivals—athletes capable of challenging her world record and competing directly against her for global honours—were likely recovering, recharging their batteries, rebuilding their bodies, strengthening their mental resilience and conserving their emotional energy for the World Championships.
As a behavioural health professional, this contrast caught my attention.
Emotional energy is a finite resource. Leadership is an honor, but it also carries an invisible cost. Every mentoring conversation, every leadership responsibility, every media commitment, every relay appearance, and every emotional investment, draws upon the same mental reserve required to produce world-class performance under pressure.
My concern is not whether Tobi won or lost a medal at the Commonwealth Games. Champions experience victories and disappointments. My concern is whether, in the weeks leading up to the most important championship of the year; have we adequately protected our greatest athletics asset?
This is not to suggest that Tobi should not lead. Great champions naturally inspire others. Rather, it is to ask whether our system should intentionally reduce the emotional and psychological demands on our elite athletes before the most important competitions of the season.
As behavioral professionals understand, peak performance depends on far more than physical conditioning. It requires emotional stability, mental clarity, psychological recovery, spiritual composure and carefully managed routines. These are not secondary considerations; they are performance factors.
Perhaps competing in Glasgow was the right decision based on information available to Tobi and her team. They undoubtedly possess insights that none of us outside their inner circle can fully appreciate, and I respect that completely.
However, there is one question I want Nigerian athletics to reflect upon, and that is: Are we merely protecting the medal, or are we intentionally protecting the athlete?
Because medals come and go. Records are eventually broken. But when we protect the whole athlete—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually—we create the greatest opportunity for sustained excellence.
As Nigerians, our greatest responsibility is not simply to celebrate our champions when they win. It is also our duty to ensure that they arrive at the world’s biggest stage healthy, mentally refreshed, emotionally recharged and fully prepared to perform at their absolute best.
MBA IDIKA UDUMA, BSW, is a former national record holder in the 1500m, and currently works as a Behavioral Health Practitioner in South Australia, from where he contributed this piece. He could be reached via www.climmfoundation.com
