Sprint Queen Favour Ofili reportedly dumps Nigeria for Turkey ahead of World Championships

In a dramatic twist just months to the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, reports have emerged that Nigerian sprint sensation and current 150m world record holder, Favour Ofili, has switched allegiance to Turkey.

The news, first shared by Jamaican sports journalist Kayon Raynor on social media platform X, has sparked outrage and deep disappointment among Nigerian athletics fans and stakeholders.

According to Raynor, the 22-year-old made her decision known to the Athletics Integrity Unit on May 31, 2025, expressing long-standing frustrations with Nigeria’s athletics administrators. Ofili pointed to several bitter experiences, including missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to administrative lapses over doping control records, and being denied entry into the 100m event at the Paris Olympics, where she later placed sixth in the 200m final.

While there are claims that Turkey has been aggressively wooing elite athletes globally this year with financial incentives, Ofili reportedly maintained that her decision was not financially driven. She cited professional disappointment and a quest for better support systems as her reasons for the switch.

This development adds to Nigeria’s growing list of lost athletics talents over the years, with notable names such as Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Gloria Alozie (Spain), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Germany), Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain), and Femi Ogunode (Qatar) having previously left due to administrative issues and lack of support.

As of this report, the World Athletics website still lists Favour Ofili under Nigeria’s flag, and neither she nor the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has issued an official statement. Many Nigerians fear this move could further expose the cracks within the country’s sports administration, especially in athletics, where talented stars continue to seek opportunities elsewhere.