Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has officially confirmed her switch of allegiance to Turkey, ending years of frustration with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
The 200m Olympic finalist revealed her decision in a statement on social media on Monday, saying the change was born out of heartbreak and negligence she suffered at two Olympic Games.
“Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions. Racing back-to-back across amazing cities and learning from the best has been incredible,” Ofili wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey 🇹🇷. I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way!
More Read
“Having won SIX gold medals, TWO silver medals and TWO bronze medals in championship meets and a 200-meter Olympic finalist while experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC towards me.
“Negligence towards me in Olympic (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision… While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey.”
Tokyo and Paris heartbreaks
Ofili’s ordeal began at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she was one of 10 Nigerian athletes disqualified after the AFN failed to conduct the required number of out-of-competition anti-doping tests.
The nightmare repeated at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where despite meeting the qualification standard, she was omitted from the women’s 100m start list. It was later confirmed as an administrative blunder by both the AFN and NOC.
A government investigation indicted top AFN officials for negligence and recommended that Ofili be compensated with ₦8 million for the psychological damage caused by the omission, but this was not implemented.
Joining the list of Nigerian defections
By confirming that Favour Ofili switches allegiance to Turkey, the 21-year-old joins a growing list of Nigerian athletes who dumped the green-white-green jersey due to poor governance in sports administration.
She follows in the footsteps of Gloria Alozie, who switched to Spain, Francis Obikwelu, who famously ran for Portugal, and Emmanuel Bamidele, who recently opted to represent the United Arab Emirates.
What next for Ofili?
For now, World Athletics continues to list her as a Nigerian athlete. She will not compete at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as rules require her to sit out while completing the nationality switch process.
Despite the setback, Ofili insists her move is about finding peace and a supportive environment: “This change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey.”
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
