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Nigerian athlete Favour Ofili has voiced her deep disappointment and frustration after being excluded from the 100m Women’s event at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This omission has been attributed to the negligence of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
In an emotional Instagram post, Ofili shared her regret: “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 me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what?”
This is not the first instance of Ofili facing setbacks due to administrative oversights. She was previously unable to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because of inadequate testing provisions, which affected 14 qualified Nigerian athletes.
Ofili expressed her frustration over the recurring issues: “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 organization can EVER be trusted in the future!”
Despite this setback, the 21-year-old sprinter remains hopeful about her participation in the 200m race, for which she has also qualified. Ofili has had an outstanding season, achieving a personal best of 22.33 seconds in the 200m and breaking the African women’s 150m record at the Adidas Atlanta City games last June.
Making her Olympic debut in Paris, Ofili is among the promising newcomers. She boasts an impressive track record, including a Top 8 finish at the World Championships, a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, and a championship title at the African Games. She is also a former World U20 champion and African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.
Her current world rankings are 23rd in the 100m and 52nd in the 200m, with personal best rankings of 13th in the 200m, 23rd in the 100m, and 37th in the 400m. In May, Ofili showcased her exceptional talent by breaking three records in a single month.
As she looks forward to competing in the 200m event, Ofili continues to demonstrate resilience and dedication to her sport, despite the administrative challenges she faces.
