Paris Olympics: AFN Fails To Register Favour Ofili’s Name In 100 Metres
By Our Correspondent
Nigeria’s hope of winning a medal at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France have continued to nosedive. Ostensibly, this is caused by avoidable human error or act of negligence.
While Team Nigeria’s table tennis athletes in singles have all crashed out, faced with crisis over kits designing as well as uncertainties, Nigeria’s were shocked on Monday when sprinter Favour Ofili cried out that she was not registered for her 100 metre race despite qualifying for the race.
The Nigeria sprinter expressed frustration on Tuesday, revealing that she will not compete in the 100-metre 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 organisations. Despite qualifying for the event, Ofili disclosed that the officials did not enter her, marking a repeat of the previous Olympics, Tokyo 2020
“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?” she said on her X.
She added, “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 to not compete. Now this……”
“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.”
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.
In a July 20 publication titled, “Nigeria’s Olympic Debutants!” mentioned Ofili as one.
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 U20 champion, and an African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.
Her current world rankings stand at 23 in 100m and 52 in 200m. Her highest rankings are 13 in 200m, 23 in 100m, and 37 in 400m.
In May, Ofili also shattered three records in a month.