Paris 2024 Olympics: AFN baffled by Ofili’s exclusion from 100m event

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has expressed surprise over the omission of Favour Ofili from the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite the reigning Nigerian 100m champion qualifying for the event and publicly expressing her disappointment, the AFN maintains that she was duly registered for all three events she qualified for.

AFN Technical Director Samuel Onikeku stated, “We registered Ofili for the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. We don’t know how her name got missing in the 100m. This is our stand as a federation.”

The controversy erupted when Ofili, Commonwealth Games silver medallist took to social media to voice her frustration over being excluded from the 100m race.

The controversy began when Ofili, the reigning Nigerian 100m champion, discovered her name was not on the list of 100m competitors. She took to social media to express her frustration, 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 my name, ” Ofili wrote on her Instagram page.

“I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what… to not be entered and compete at the Olympic Games because the responsible organization failed to enter me?”

The 21-year-old sprinter, who clocked an impressive 11.06 seconds at the Nigerian Olympic Trials, highlighted her disappointment, especially given her previous experiences with the AFN.

In a poignant reminder, Ofili referenced the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where she and several other Nigerian athletes were unable to compete due to the federation’s failure to administer mandatory doping tests. “Please remember, in the last Olympic Games I could not compete because the AFN, NADC, and NOC failed to release funds for athletes to be tested,” she stated.

The AFN has reiterated that Ofili’s name was included in the final list submitted to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for all three events. The federation is now seeking clarification from the NOC on how the omission occurred.

As the situation unfolds, questions linger about the oversight that led to Ofili’s exclusion and the potential impact on her career.