Favour Ofili, a promising Nigerian athlete at the ongoing Paris Olympics, will not participate in the women’s 100m event, a competition she had eagerly anticipated. She attributes this setback to the country’s sports authorities.
Ofili, who competes in both the 100m and 200m events, was set to represent Nigeria alongside Tima Godbless and Rosemary Chukwuma in the 100m. However, she revealed that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), and the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) failed to register her for the event, thus denying her the chance to compete.
In a social media post on Tuesday night, Ofili expressed her disappointment: “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter my name. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what…to not be entered and compete at the Olympic Games because the responsible organization failed to enter me?
“Please remember, in the last Olympic Games I was not able to compete because AFN, NADC, and NOC failed to release funds for athletes in the USA to be tested, which made 14 Nigerian athletes that qualified unable to compete. Now THIS… If those responsible are NOT held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organization can EVER be trusted in the future! Next one is the 200 meters, I HOPE I’M ENTERED.