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Favour Ofili Officially Confirms Change of Allegiance to Turkey
Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili confirms she will now compete for Turkey.
Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili has officially confirmed her switch of allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey, ending months of speculation. According to reports first emerging in June, the Port Harcourt-born athlete was set to change nationality following long-standing frustrations with Nigeria’s athletics authorities—and she has now made it official.
Sharing the news on her social media pages, Ofili reflected on what she described as “a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions.” According to her, the change is “from the heart, not from financial motives,” and comes after a successful run representing Nigeria over the years.
Ofili highlighted her achievements, reminding fans of the heights she reached while wearing Nigerian colours: “I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way! Having won SIX gold medals, TWO silver medals and TWO bronze medals in championship meets and a 200 metre Olympic finalist…”
Her switch comes after a series of administrative hurdles that, according to Ofili, prevented her from participating at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. She explained that these setbacks were due to missed notifications regarding drug-testing requirements for Tokyo, and another missed submission for the 100m event at Paris. Despite these challenges, Ofili emphasised that financial incentive was not behind her decision, stating: “While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey.”
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist joins the ranks of high-profile Nigerian athletes who have represented other nations, including Gloria Alozie, Francis Obikwelu, and Femi Ogunode. According to Ofili, she is excited for what lies ahead and grateful for the support of her coach, agent, sponsor Adidas, and her loved ones during this period of transition.
As she completes the formalities of her switch, Ofili will sit out the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo before beginning the next chapter of her career in Turkish colours.
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