Nigerian sprinter, Favour Ofili, expressed her frustration on Tuesday, revealing that she will not compete in the 100-metre race at the ongoing Olympics in Paris due to administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Olympic Committee, The Courage.
She called for accountability from those responsible and voiced her skepticism about the trustworthiness of both organisations.
The LSU Track and Field alumni hopes to be entered in the 200-metre event. LSU track refers to the track and field programme at Louisiana State University.
Her post read, “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 metres at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for four years to earn this opportunity. For what?”
Despite qualifying for the event, Ofili disclosed that the officials did not enter her, marking a repeat of the previous Olympics, Tokyo 2020.
She added, “Please remember, in the last Olympic Games, I was not able to compete because AFN, NADC and NOC failed to release funds for athletes to be tested, which made 14 Nigerian athletes that qualified to not compete. Now this……”
“If those responsible are not held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organisation can ever be trusted in the future! Next one is the 200 metres. I hope I’m entered.”
Ofili secured her place in the women’s 200m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 21-year-old was entered for 100m, 200m, 400m, 100×100 relay.
Ofili, who tweeted around 10 pm, was one of 10 Nigerian athletes declared ineligible for the Olympics by the Athletics Integrity Unit because they were not tested rigorously enough in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.
In a July 20 publication titled, “Nigeria’s Olympic Debutants!” mentioned Ofili as one.
Making her debut in Paris, flaunting her sterling credentials of once being in the Top 8 at the World Championships, the athlete is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, an African Games champion, a former World U20 champion, and an African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.
Her current world rankings stand at 23 in 100m and 52 in 200m. Her highest rankings are 13 in 200m, 23 in 100m, and 37 in 400m. In May, Ofili also shattered three records in a month.
