Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has reportedly switched her international allegiance to Turkey, following years of frustration with Nigeria’s athletics administration. The change is said to have taken effect from 31 May, according to a report by Jamaican outlet TVJ Newscentre, citing sources close to the 22-year-old athlete.
Ofili allegedly informed the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of her decision, stating that it was not financially motivated but driven by her disappointment with how her career has been handled by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. She specifically referenced Nigeria’s failure to meet mandatory anti-doping protocols at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which led to her and eight others being disqualified from competition.
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In 2024, Ofili was again affected when her name was reportedly omitted from Nigeria’s 100m Olympic list due to documentation issues, despite her historic performance earlier in the year as the first Nigerian woman to reach an Olympic 200m final. She currently holds the national 200m record at 21.96 seconds and set a new world best in the women’s 150m with a time of 15.85 seconds in May.
The Commonwealth Games silver and gold medallist also became the first female NCAA athlete to run sub-11 seconds in the 100m and sub-22 in the 200m. Her defection raises further concerns over talent retention and administrative lapses within Nigerian athletics.
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