How I recovered from nationality switch failure – Favour Ofili

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili says therapy, support from close friends and her coach helped her recover from one of the toughest periods of her career.

Speaking at the Prefontaine Classic, the 22-year-old athlete said the last two years tested her mentally and emotionally after a series of disappointments involving Nigerian athletics officials and her failed attempt to switch allegiance to Türkiye.

According to Ofili, she worked hard on her mental health to regain happiness and confidence.

“You don’t know the amount of mental work I have put in over the last two years just to get back to competing and being happy again,” she said.

She explained that therapy, trusted friends and support from her coach helped her through the difficult period.

Ofili said she now focuses only on things she can control and takes life one day at a time.

“I’m no longer worrying about things outside my control. As long as I am healthy, that is what matters most,” she added.

Her troubles began before the Tokyo Olympics when she was among 10 Nigerian athletes ruled ineligible to compete because Nigeria failed to meet required anti-doping testing standards.

Three years later, another setback occurred at the Paris Olympics. Despite qualifying for the women’s 100 metres, she was not entered for the event by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

The mistake prevented her from competing in the race. However, she later competed in the 200 metres, reaching the final and finishing sixth.

Following an investigation, a government panel blamed some AFN officials and recommended that Ofili receive N8 million as compensation. She said she has not received the money or an apology.

Frustrated by the situation, Ofili sought to change her sporting nationality to Türkiye in 2025.

The Turkish Athletics Federation submitted her application after she obtained Turkish citizenship and signed a club contract reportedly worth $10,000 per month.

However, World Athletics rejected the application, saying she did not meet the requirements needed to represent Türkiye internationally.

Although Türkiye plans to challenge the decision, Ofili said she has moved on from the disappointment.

“The past three months have been the best for me. I have done so much for myself and my future. I am at peace,” she said.

The sprinter also revealed that she has not communicated with Nigerian athletics officials since the Paris Olympics.

According to her, staying away from situations that affect her peace of mind has been important for her recovery.

“I haven’t spoken with them since 2024. For me to be at peace, you have to stay away from things that drain you,” she said.

Ofili praised her LSU coach, Dennis Shaver, for standing by her throughout the difficult period.

“They have criticised my coach, but I don’t know what I would have done without him,” she said.

The athlete said the challenges she has faced have changed her outlook on life and competition.

“The Favour of today does not care what people say. I used to worry about other people’s opinions, but now I focus on myself because I am the one running,” she explained.

She stressed that her mental health remains her top priority.

“My mental health comes first. At the end of the day, I am the one competing and dealing with everything,” she said.

Despite the off-track challenges, Ofili is enjoying her return to competition.

She recently raced against some of the world’s top sprinters in the 100 metres and was pleased with her performance.

While she plans to continue racing in the 100 metres when opportunities arise, she said her main focus remains the 200 metres.

“I’m happy to be back competing. The 200 metres is still my main event, but I’m grateful for every opportunity to race,” she said.