With Favour Ofili confirming allegiance switch, complete list of all athletes from Jamaica and other countries who will be competing for Turkey

Favour Ofili has joined the allegiance switch bandwagon, with her decision to move from Nigeria to Turkey. However, unlike the Jamaican athletes, her decision was more influenced by apathy from the local administration rather than financial stimulus.

The 22-year-old Nigerian athlete was missing from the squad selected to represent Nigeria at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, following which she made her decision official. Although Ofili had indicated towards the same in June 2025, not many had taken her statements seriously.

But why are athletes from Jamaica, Nigeria etc. suddenly making the switch? Although Turkey has not done something out of the box, having worked on this model for more than four decades, their current framework, including a handsome monthly stipend and a signing bonus of $500000 has attracted athletes more than anything else. This is why several Jamaican athletes rushed towards Turkey, which included Olympic champion in discus throw Roje Stona, silver medalist in long jump Wayne Pinnock etc.

Following are some of the athletes who have officially switched their allegiance to Turkey in the past decade :

Favour Ofili (Nigeria)
Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica)
Roje Stona (Jamaica)
Wayne Pinnock (Jamaica)
Jak Ali Harvey (Jamaica - 2015)
Jaydon Hibbert (Jamaica)
Emre Zafer Barnes (Jamaica - 2015)
Yasmani Copello (Cuba - 2014)
Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (Kenya - 2015)
Ramil Guliyev (Azerbaijan - 2013)

When Favour Ofili lashed out at the Nigerian administration

Favour Ofili (Right) in action at the Paris Olympics 2024 (Image Source: Getty)

Favour Ofili previously shared her thoughts about switching her allegiance to Turkey. In a long, emotional post on her Instagram profile, the 22-year-old athlete wrote,

"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 🇹🇷 "

The ex Nigerian athlete also revealed how the persistent humiliation she faced at both the Tokyo and the Paris Olympics due to administrative apathy was the reason she was compelled to make the switch. She further added,

"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."

Favour Ofili had qualified for the finals of the women's 200m at the Paris Olympics, after she missed out on the 100m due to negligence from her own federation despite having qualified for the same. Ofili couldn't sustain the momentum in the race and ultimately finished sixth.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma