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Sprinter Favour Ofili Dumps Nigeria for Turkey
In a major setback for Nigerian athletics, 22-year-old sprint star Favour Ofili has reportedly changed her international allegiance to Turkey, effective May 31, 2025, sources revealed.
Ofili's defection, driven by her frustration with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), marks a significant loss for the country’s sports landscape.
Favour Ofili, who finished sixth in the 200m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, had earlier communicated her grievances to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), highlighting the AFN’s repeated mishandling of her career.
Sources hinge Ofili’s decision on two major incidents. In 2020, the AFN’s failure to verify her doping control tests excluded her from the Tokyo Olympics. More recently, the federation neglected to register her for the 100m event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, limiting her to the 200m. These missteps fueled her frustration with the AFN’s leadership.
Reports have it that Turkey's Sports Ministry, spearheaded Ofili's recruitment, offering her a $500,000 signing fee if she agreed to compete for Turkey.
AFN President Chief Tonobok Okowa, when contacted by BCOS TV sports journalist, Tobi Ajewole, declined comments on the matter.
“I cannot comment on the Favour Ofili reports because we are trying to confirm if it’s true”, Okowa said.
His guarded response has intensified scrutiny on the AFN, as Nigeria grapples with the loss of a rising star.
Ofili's defection follows similar switch of allegiance by older athletes as Francis Obikwelu and Gloria Anozie.
Recall that Obikwelu and Anozie dumped Nigeria for Portugal and Spain respectively after having grievances with Nigerian sports adminitrators.