Lovers of athletics in Nigeria have thrown their weight behind women’s 150m world record holder, Favour Ofili, in the midst of her alleged switch of allegiance to Turkey, reports say.
Ofili’s switch was first announced by Jamaica-based journalist Kayon Raynor on Sunday.
“Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable TVJ News Centre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the Athletics Integrity Unit of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation,” Raynor posted via X.
Raynor further said that Ofili cited missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the failure of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to register her for the 100m event at the last games in Paris and that the switch was not financially motivated.
Tonobok Okowa, AFN president, who was just reelected for a second term in office, has expressed shock over the development.
“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, on her request. She is a promising athlete with huge potential,” Okowa said in a statement.
“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 new found Turkish love. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her but it is painful and hard to take for us, however, we will not stop her, she is still our child, sister and daughter.