Nigerian Sprint Star Favour Ofili Switches Allegiance to Turkey

Nigerian Sprint Star Favour Ofili Switches Allegiance to Turkey Amidst Olympic Frustrations

London, UK – In a surprising turn of events, Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has officially transferred her allegiance to Turkey. The move comes after a series of administrative blunders by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) that have, according to Ofili, twice cost her the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games.

Ofili, who had achieved the 100m qualifying standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics, was left out of the entry list due to what she describes as a failure by the AFN and NOC to submit her name. This incident mirrors a similar situation in 2021, when she was unable to compete in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. On that occasion, the AFN and the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) reportedly failed to ensure she, along with 13 other athletes, underwent the necessary out-of-competition drug tests in time.

Sources close to Ofili indicate that the decision to switch nationalities was a direct result of “years of neglect” and frustration with the Nigerian athletic authorities. Ofili reportedly voiced her grievances to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), initiating the allegiance transfer process on May 31st.

Adding to the controversy, the same AFN leadership that has overseen these alleged missteps was re-elected in June, just weeks after Ofili began the process of changing her sporting nationality. This development casts a shadow over the future of Nigerian athletics and raises questions about athlete welfare and administrative competence within the federation.