“She’s Difficult to Deal With”—AFN Won’t Stop Ofili from Leaving Nigeria for Turkey
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says it will not stop Favour Ofili if she decides to switch allegiance from Nigeria to another country, amidst reports that the 22-year-old sprinter is eyeing a move to Turkey.
AFN president Tonobok Okowa said although Ofili is a “promising athlete with huge potential,” she is “old enough to decide what’s best for her.”
“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful but we are yet to get any official statement from her or any correspondence from World Athletics (WA), on her request,” Okowa said. “She is still our child, sister and daughter.”
Reports emerged Sunday that Ofili had written to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) seeking a change of nationality, citing frustrations with the AFN, especially her omission from the women’s 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite qualifying. She later competed in the 200m, reaching the final and finishing sixth.
Okowa also claimed efforts to reconnect with Ofili have failed since the Olympics.
“Despite our own inadequacies, on several occasions she shunned the national trials, and even when she came, she selected the events she preferred to compete in,” the federation said. “No doubt Ofili is one of our best athletes in recent times but she is difficult to deal with.”
Ofili was among the ten Nigerian athletes disqualified from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the AFN’s failure to meet anti-doping requirements.
