Why I dumped Nigeria for Qatar – Favour Ashe

Nigeria’s fastest sprinter in recent times, Favour Ashe, has opened up on why he decided to switch allegiance from Nigeria to Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect and revive his athletics career.

Ashe made this remark while speaking to Guardian News, where he explained that his decision was not driven by hatred for Nigeria, but by frustration over how athletes are treated and the poor training conditions available to them.

According to him, his experience at the National Sports Festival last year became a turning point. He had hoped his participation would add value and excitement to the event, but instead felt disrespected and unwanted.

“This is not to rubbish what Nigeria has done for us over the years,” Ashe said. “But some of the people managing our sports do not show human feelings. It felt like I was begging to be part of Nigeria athletics. You don’t treat athletes that way and expect them to give their best.”

The sprinter added that training facilities in Nigeria also slowed down his progress. He said the tracks were not up to standard, making it difficult to meet training targets and maintain top performance levels.

Having completed his studies in the United States, Ashe could no longer rely on college facilities for training. Faced with limited options at home, he decided to accept Qatar’s offer.

He revealed that he has been in Qatar for the past five months and described the environment as supportive and professional. Ashe said he was surprised to find several young Nigerian athletes already training there.

With a personal best of 9.79 seconds, Ashe believes the switch is the best option for his career at this stage.

He noted that Qatar immediately placed him and other athletes on an international training tour in South Africa to prepare for the new season — an opportunity he said he never experienced while representing Nigeria.

“I cherish this opportunity so much,” he added, expressing optimism about forming a strong 4x100m relay team for Qatar in the near future.

Ashe’s move reflects a growing trend of Nigerian athletes changing nationality in search of better support systems and career stability.