FAVOUR Ofili has reportedly switched allegiances from Nigeria to Turkey.
Unconfirmed reports emerged in the early hours of today that the young sprinter made the decision after being frustrated by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
Ofili, 22, is an elite-level 100m and 200m specialist (10.93 seconds and 21.96s personal bests in the 100m and 200m respectively) who would be a big miss if she indeed completes the change of nationality.
According to Television Jamaica/Radio Jamaica Newscentre, Ofili applied for the switch to Turkey on May 31, citing her frustrations with how her career has been negatively impacted by the AFN.
Ofili informed the Athletes Integrity Unit of governing body World Athletics that the AFN made her miss the Toyko 2020 Olympics in 2021 after they did not confirm that she underwent the minimum number of doping control tests.
She also missed out on the 100m at the Paris Olympics in 2024 after the AFN did not enter her for the event, even when she had met the qualifying standards.
Ofili competed in only the 200m and reached the final, where she finished sixth.
Ofili also told the AIU that her switch to Turkey was not for financial reasons, although the country would offer better remuneration than Nigeria.
The AFN is yet to confirm or deny the report.
If her application is successful, Ofili would join the likes of Glory Alozie (Spain) and Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) in competing for other countries after running for Nigeria.
They both won global medals for the European countries and are still celebrated there.
However, Ofili, who won 200m silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, is still listed by World Athletics as Nigerian, and
since she did compete for the country at the Olympics, there is a minimum window of three years for the switch to Turkey to be completed.
The delay in completing the process could see Ofili miss the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year and then Beijing in 2027, although there are exceptions that could be to her advantage.