Nigeria: Favour Ofili Excluded from Women's 100m at Paris 2024 Olympics

In a surprising turn of events, Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili will not be competing in the women's 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite hitting the qualification standard and winning the national title in Benin, Ofili’s name was omitted from the official entries for Team Nigeria due to administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).

Ofili expressed her deep frustration and disappointment in a social media post, stating: 

"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 Nigeria athletes that qualified to not 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."

This isn’t the first time Ofili has faced such disappointment. At the Tokyo Olympic Games, she qualified for the 200 meters but was unable to compete because the AFN, NADC, and NOC did not release funds for her and 13 other Nigerian athletes to get tested. This oversight not only robbed these athletes of their chance to compete but also highlighted systemic issues within Nigerian athletics administration.

With her exclusion from the 100 meters, Ofili’s focus will now shift to the 200 meters event, where she hopes to avoid a repeat of past administrative blunders. The ongoing issues within the AFN and NOC have raised concerns about their efficiency and reliability, as athletes continue to suffer the consequences of these failures.

As the Paris 2024 Olympics continues, the Nigerian athletic community and fans will be watching closely to see if Ofili and other athletes receive the support and opportunities they have rightfully earned. The call for accountability and reform within Nigerian sports administration is growing louder, with hopes that future generations of athletes will not face similar setbacks.