Femi Fabunmi
Nigerian sprint sensation, Favour Ofili, has officially filed a request to change her international allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey.
The 22-year-old athlete, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s brightest track prospects, made the decision after what she described as persistent neglect and recurring administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).
Ofili’s move stems from a string of disappointments, including her controversial omission from the 100m event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, despite meeting the qualifying standard.
According to sources close to the athlete, the Nigerian authorities failed to submit her name for the event, repeating a similar oversight that also cost her a place in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The sprinter, who has already communicated her intentions to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), stated that she has lost confidence in the Nigerian sports administration’s ability to protect and support its athletes at the global level.
Her decision has sparked fresh criticism of the AFN and NOC, whose history of administrative blunders continues to jeopardize the careers of promising Nigerian athletes.
Favour Ofili remains one of the top-rated sprinters in Nigeria, boasting personal bests of 10.93 seconds in the 100 metres and 21.96 seconds in the 200 metres — times that position her among the elite globally.
Her potential switch to Turkey, if approved, would be a significant loss to Nigerian athletics and a boost for Turkish track and field ambitions.
The development has stirred concern among sports stakeholders and fans alike, with calls mounting for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s sports governance structures to prevent further loss of talent.
