Nigerian Sprinter Favour Ofili Excluded from Olympic 100m Event

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili is facing a disappointing situation as she announced that she won’t be competing in the women’s 100m at the upcoming Olympics in Paris. This news comes after she realized that her name is missing from the entry list for the event.

Ofili expressed her frustration on social media, stating, “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?”

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) claims to be just as baffled as Ofili about the missing entry. According to Samuel Onikeku, the AFN’s Technical Director, she was registered for the 100m, 200m, and the women’s 4x100m relay. Yet, when the official entry list was checked, Ofili was only listed for the latter two events.

Ofili had previously qualified for the women’s 100m at the AFN National Trials held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City back in June, achieving her personal best of 11.06 seconds. She also met the Olympic standard for the 200m during the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in April.

This isn’t the first time Ofili has dealt with registration issues. She recalled missing out on the last Olympic Games due to the AFN and NOC not providing funds for necessary athlete testing, which left 14 qualified Nigerian athletes unable to compete. She emphasized that if no one is held accountable this time, she can’t trust the organizations in the future.

Despite the setback in the 100m event, Ofili still hopes to compete in the 200m if her name is properly registered. The Olympics are set to kick off with the first round of the women’s 100m taking place on Friday.