We won’t block Ofili’s move, she’s difficult to deal with — Athletics Federation of Nigeria

Tonobok Okowa, the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), stated that Favour Ofili is “old enough to decide what’s best for her” and will not be prohibited from switching allegiance to another country if she chooses to do so.

On Sunday, June 22, it was reported that the 22-year-old sprinter had written to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to request a change of nationality.

According to these reports, the 150-meter world record holder cited frustrations experienced with the AFN during recent international competitions as her reasons for the switch.

However, a check on the World Athletics (WA) website indicates that Ofili remains a Nigerian athlete.

In response, Okowa mentioned that he was unaware of Ofili’s decision and had only become aware of it through media reports. He added that the AFN has not received any correspondence from World Athletics or from the athlete herself.

“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 president said.

“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. Favour Ofili had already been paid her training grant for this year.

“From the moves we have been making to get her fully prepared and back to the big athletics family, and her response, it’s also clear that she had been preparing and working on her newfound Turkish love. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her, but it’s painful and hard to take for us; however, we will not stop her. She is still our child, sister and daughter.”

Okowa said Ofili has prevented the federation from reaching her since the Paris Olympics, adding that all attempts to “heal the wounds” proved futile.

The federation said, despite being one of Nigeria’s best athletes in recent years, Ofili is “difficult to deal with.”

“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 statement reads.

“No doubt Ofili is one of best our athletes in recent times but she is difficult to deal with.

“The AFN has its issues, but we are getting along well with other top athletes and are still thriving within the system. We wish her well in whatever she is doing and wherever she is going.”

Ofili represented Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, her name was omitted from the women’s race by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) after she had already qualified for the event, which impacted her performance. Despite this setback, she participated in the women’s 200m and successfully reached the final, finishing in sixth place.

Additionally, Ofili was among ten Nigerian athletes who missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the AFN’s failure to meet mandatory anti-doping requirements.