Paris 2024 Olympics: Furore over exclusion of Nigeria's medal hopeful, Ofili, from 100m

Posted : 31 July 2024

There is ongoing uproar in the camp of Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the country's chance to be on the podium for the 100 meters race went up in flames following accusations and counter-accusations regarding the failed registration of Favour Ofili for the race.

Reports indicate that Ofili was summarily disqualified from the race after her name was missing from the register supplied by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) claims that the athlete was duly registered.

Many sources have suggested that the omission of Ofili's name from the 100m race was an avoidable human error and an act of negligence.

It was a rude shock when sprinter Favour Ofili revealed that she was not registered for her 100-meter race despite qualifying.

The Nigerian sprinter expressed her frustration, stating that she will not compete in the 100-meter race at the ongoing Olympics in Paris due to administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).

She called for accountability from those responsible and voiced her skepticism about the trustworthiness of both organizations.

“It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at these 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?” she said on X.

She added, “Please remember, in the last Olympic Games, I was not able to compete because the AFN, NADC, and NOC failed to release funds for athletes to be tested, which caused 14 Nigerian athletes who qualified to miss out. Now this…”

“If those responsible are not held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organization can ever be trusted in the future! The next event is the 200 meters. I hope I’m entered.”

Ofili, who tweeted around 10 pm, was one of 10 Nigerian athletes declared ineligible for the Olympics by the Athletics Integrity Unit because they were not tested rigorously enough in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.

Making her debut in Paris, flaunting her sterling credentials of once being in the Top 8 at the World Championships, the athlete is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, an African Games champion, a former World U-20 champion, and an African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.

Her current world rankings stand at 23 in the 100m and 52 in the 200m. Her highest rankings are 13 in the 200m, 23 in the 100m, and 37 in the 400m.

In May, Ofili also shattered three records in a month.

In response, the AFN claimed that it had registered Ofili for the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay races, contrary to the allegations of non-registration.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says it is shocked as to why Favour Ofili’s name was missing from the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Ofili, had raised the alarm upon discovering that her name was not on the list of competitors for the 100m event.

She accused the AFN of deliberately omitting her name from the 100m event.

But in a swift reaction, the AFN said it is also surprised as to why Ofili's name was omitted from the 100m list.

“We registered Ofili for the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. We don’t know how her name got missing from the 100m event.

“This is our stand as a federation,” said AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku.

It was gathered that the AFN submitted Ofili's name for the three events on the final list it sent to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) for the Paris Olympics. It is unclear how her name was eventually left out of the 100m event.

Ofili ran 11.06 seconds at the Nigerian Olympic Trials in Benin City to secure her place among the 56 athletes who will compete at the Paris Olympics.

She has competed in more 100m races this season than in the 200m, running two wind-aided times of 10.85 seconds and 10.78 seconds.

Paris 2024 Olympics: Furore over exclusion of Nigeria's medal hopeful, Ofili, from 100m

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