Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has expressed her deep frustration and disappointment after learning she will not compete in the 100-metre race at the ongoing Olympics in Paris. Ofili attributed this setback to administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).
#### Statement and Call for Accountability
On Tuesday, Ofili called for accountability from the responsible parties, expressing her skepticism about the trustworthiness of both the AFN and NOC. In her post, she said:
> “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 metres at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for four years to earn this opportunity. For what?”
#### Historical Context and Previous Olympics
This incident mirrors a similar situation from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Ofili and 13 other Nigerian athletes were declared ineligible by the Athletics Integrity Unit due to insufficient testing. Ofili recalled:
> “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 not compete. Now this…”
#### Future Hopes and Skepticism
Despite this setback, Ofili, an alumnus of the LSU Track and Field program (Louisiana State University), hopes to compete in the 200-metre event. She voiced her concern about future trust in these organizations:
> “If those responsible are not held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organisation can ever be trusted in the future! Next one is the 200 metres. I hope I’m entered.”
#### Current Situation
Attempts to reach officials from the AFN and NOC for clarifications were unsuccessful. Ofili’s tweet, posted around 10 pm, highlighted her frustration and the broader issues facing Nigerian athletes due to administrative inefficiencies.
Favour Ofili’s situation underscores ongoing challenges in Nigerian athletics, where administrative lapses have repeatedly impacted athletes’ opportunities on the global stage.
