Good radiance as Ofili dumps Nigeria for Turkey, AFN reacts

Citing unjust treatments as reason, one of Nigeria’s athletics enfant terrible, Favour Ofili, a perennial beneficiary of injustice, as allegedly applies to the World Athletics, the governing body of athletics in the world, to switch allegiance to Turkey.

If World Athletics approves Ofili’s request, dated May 31, 2025, she will be eligible to represent Turkey at the 2028 Olympic Games in the USA.

Ofili claimed that she had been frustrated in her athletics career by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the governing body of athletics in Nigeria.

She recalled being disqualified along with 12 other athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to Nigeria's noncompliance with doping regulations.

She also complained about her omission from the women's 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Despite their inadequacies, athletics officials view Ofili as a problematic athlete, hard to deal with and would be glad to see her back.

There are several occasions she shunned the national trials, and even when she came, selected the event she prefers to compete.

In the 2024 African Championships in Cameroon, she refused to compete in the 100m after running in the heats, claiming that the organisers did not provide the right atmosphere for competition.

She also did not turn up for the last African Games in Accra, Ghana.

"No doubt Ofili is one of the best athletes in recent times, but she is difficult to deal with," said an official.

"The AFN has its issues, but some other top athletes are still thriving within the system. We wish her well in whatever she is doing and wherever she is going."

Ofili, 22, holds the national 200m women's record with 21.96 secs and personal best of 10.78 secs, performances she did in 2022.

Ofili is still listed as a Nigerian athlete on the website of the World Athletics as of June 22, 2025.

Rule 4.4.2 of the WA eligibility rules states that for an athlete to switch allegiance to a new country after previously representing another country at international competitions, they must observe a mandatory waiting period of three years from the time they last represented their previous country.

Ofili represented Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics. she participated in the women’s 200m, where she reached the final and finished sixth.

AFN president Tonobok Okowa is shocked by the news that Ofili is seeking to switch allegiance to Turkey.

Okowa told the media on Sunday that he and every other sports-loving person in Nigeria, on the continent and beyond, heard her desire to change nationality from the media.

“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. She is a promising athlete with huge potential.”

“The AFN and the National Sports Commission (NSC), have been working hard to get athletics and other sports in the country back on track and to show that both bodies are matching goals, objectives and words with action, Ofili had already been paid her training grant for this year,” Okowa said.

Okowa went on to state that the 22-year-old athlete has prevented the Federation from reaching her and that all efforts to heal the wounds caused by the 100m Paris Olympic Games omission have proved abortive.

Recently, the Turkish Athletics Federation have been courting top athletes from Africa, America and Europe to move over to Istanbul.

Jamaican athlete and Olympic shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell also switched his allegiance to Turkiye.

We gathered that his compatriot and discus gold medallist Roje Stona has followed suit.

Ofili, 22, holds the national 200m women’s record with 21.96s and personal best of 10.78s, performances she did in 2022.

She is not the first high-profile Nigerian athlete that jump ship. Francis Obikwelu and Glory Alozie put down their Nigeria jerseys and picked up those of Portugal and Spain, respectively in the prime of their careers. Others are Kemi Adekoya, Femi Ogunode and many more.

Speaking at the Club World Cup, the Real Madrid coach and former Spain international Xabi Alonso offered Cazorla his congratulations. “The first thing is to congratulate Oviedo,” he said.

“I feel a little sorry for Mirandes, too, because I have friends there. I’m happy for my friend Santi Cazorla, who had the great gesture of going back there at his age, and I’m sure he has been very influential in the promotion. Because of his charisma and because he has an impressive quality, he is a unique player.”