Favour Ofili announces allegiance switch from Nigeria as she expresses disappointment in the athletics federation for negligence 

Commonwealth Games - Birmingham 2022. - Source: Getty
Favour Ofili competes in the Commonwealth Games - Birmingham 2022. - Source: Getty

Favour Ofili announced her decision to make an allegiance switch from Nigeria weeks before the commencement of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. The Nigerian athlete shared that she will be representing Turkey in the upcoming season and expressed that her decision stemmed from a variety of reasons.

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The 22-year-old shared that she would be wrapping up her season and expressed her gratitude for being able to compete in multiple cities as well as learn important lessons that she could carry forward in her career. She expressed her pride in being able to represent Nigeria on the global level for many years.

Favour Ofili shared that she always tried her best to put forward her best effort every time that she stepped on the track; however, she was disappointed by the negligence displayed by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria as well as the National Olympic Committee towards her. Even though the allegiance switch made Favour Ofili miss the 2025 World Championships, she expressed her elation at being able to start a new chapter in her career.

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"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. As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey 🇹🇷 " she wrote.
"I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way! 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 for their negligence towards me in two Olympics (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision," she added.
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Moreover, Favour Ofili stated that her decision was not made for financial motives.


Favour Ofili expresses her thoughts after her Paris Olympics appearance

Favour Ofili The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Source: Getty
Favour Ofili The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Source: Getty

Favour Ofili competed in the women's 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics. She finished sixth in the 200m finals, and the Nigerian team could not qualify for the finals after finishing sixth in the 4x100m heats. The Nigerian athlete shared that she got to live her dream of a lifetime by competing in Paris.

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Even though she could not achieve her desired result at the quadrennial games, Ofili was elated by her fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude.

"Competing in the Olympics has been the dream of a lifetime. The outcome of this Olympic wasn’t what I hoped for, having to fight with myself every day to be strong mentally, even when my body and health were at stake due to the challenges I faced. It’s easy to feel defeated, but every setback is a setup for a comeback. I’m proud of myself, the whole thing made me realise how strong I am and I'm grateful for the support I got from my coach, family and fans," she wrote.

Ofili thanked her fans for their incredible support and encouragement throughout the games.

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Edited by Adityan Pillai
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