Girl Power: Tobi Amusan and Nigerian female athletes who triumphed over limitations to win gold

Nigeria has been in a sports lag ever since the 1990s - the glory days being 1996 and the 2000s, but now our faith is revived in sports because of these women.

And everyone is jubilating because of how proud they are making Nigerians.

Tobi Amusan’s tale is one that sparked hope in many Nigerians, after Blessing Okagbare's fatal disqualification from the Olympics for doping.

Her doggedness to compete in the World Athletic Competition despite many oppositions she faced is proof that she had confidence in her abilities and she was able to see her dream through.

At the World Athletic Championships, she broke the world record twice, in the quarter-finals and the finals. During the Commonwealth games, she broke the competition record.

Why this matters:

Tobi symbolises the Nigerian woman and the youth. She represents two marginalised groups in Nigeria, in a nation where it hurts to be both.

The fact that her win was even contested and fought against, some people saying her shoes or the wind made her win hinted at racism

The country has become patently unlivable for many young people, with millions seeking solace in another country, because they are defeated. When they stood up to fight for what they believed in, they were silenced with bullets.

Tobi's tale is no fairy tale, she had several setbacks - she had to go back to the drawing board many times and pay for her own athletics training because of the country’s inability to cater to its athletes but more than that, she triumphed more than she was challenged, having won many titles and championships.

Her father was opposed to her being in athletics, he wanted her to go to school and get a proper education and job.

There was a fear in him that she might turn out to be jobless and worse, wayward. Every Nigerian woman is used to that eagle eye from their father who doesn’t want them to be wayward, spoilt or a loose woman.

He even made her take an undertaking to complete her education and not to sleep around or become a prostitute. A label many successful women have to fight against.

In the Commonwealth games, Tobi proved that it was not just a stroke of luck for her and Rosemary Chukwuama, Favour Ofili, and Grace Nwokocha also won gold in the 4 x 400 relay race but they were not the only women who won.

Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Ofili and the 100m relay team make history at the World Athletics Championship Pulse Nigeria

Ese Brume won gold in the long jump competition. Mercy Genesis Miesinnei in 50kg weight class, Oborududu Blessing in Wrestling (65kg), Goodness Nwachukwu in Discus Throw, Odunayo Adekuoroye in Wrestling (57kg), Chioma Onyekwere in Shot Put, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal in Weightlifting (59kg) and, Eucharia Iyiazi in F55-57 Shot Put all won gold.

These women epitomise what it means to win despite the country's limitations. Perhaps, it is true that what a man can do, a woman can do better.