The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has expressed bewilderment over the omission of sprinter Favour Ofili’s name from the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
On Wednesday morning, Ofili, the current Nigerian 100m champion, discovered that her name was missing from the list of competitors for the 100m event and accused the AFN of deliberately excluding her.
In response, the AFN claimed it was equally surprised by the oversight. AFN Technical Director Samuel Onikeku stated, “We registered Ofili for the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay.
We are unsure how her name was omitted from the 100m. This is our position as a federation,” in a message to AFN Media.
The AFN had submitted Ofili’s name for all three events in the final list sent to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) for the Paris Olympics.
The reason for her omission from the 100m event remains unclear.
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Ofili had posted a time of 11.06 seconds at the Nigerian Olympic Trials in Benin City, securing her place among the 56 athletes selected for the Paris Olympics.
She has run more 100m races this season compared to the 200m and posted wind-aided times of 10.85 and 10.78 seconds.
She took to social media to express her frustration and disappointment.
“It is with great regret that I have just been informed I will not be competing in the 100 meters at these Olympic Games. Despite qualifying, the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for four years to earn this opportunity,” Ofili wrote.
She continued, “This situation is deeply disheartening, especially after the last Olympic Games, where a lack of funds for athlete testing led to 14 Nigerian athletes missing out. If those responsible for this latest error are not held accountable, neither organization can ever be trusted again. I hope I am entered for the 200 meters.”
