Nigerian long jumper Ese Brume has dismissed claims that she received $30,000 from the National Sports Commission (NSC) following the accident she suffered last year, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Brume was involved in a near-fatal crash in the United States, which left her with serious injuries and cut short her season. Her vehicle almost plunged off a bridge, leaving her traumatized and physically strained.
The impact was evident when she competed at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, finishing a disappointing 10th in her qualifying group and 19th overall.
In defence of her performance, a popular sports account, TeamNigeriaUK3, shared a post quoting Tope Ashaolu, who claimed the NSC had given Brume $30,000 in support.
Brume, however, publicly refuted the claim via her Instagram story, writing:
“Just to be clear, NSC did not give me any $30,000. Please get your facts straight. Thanks,” she posted, tagging @teamnigeriauk3.
Her coach, Kayode Yaya, also clarified that Brume’s participation in Tokyo was her personal choice, motivated more by her mental recovery than competition.
“I told her she had nothing to prove, but she insisted on competing to clear the fear out of her mind. It was about healing, not performance,” Yaya said on Brilla FM.
Despite the setback, Brume’s resilience has been remarkable. Since her junior days, she has won about 20 medals for Nigeria in major competitions between 2015 and 2025.
