The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has addressed the controversy surrounding Favour Ofili’s exclusion from the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ofili, who expressed her frustration on social media, revealed that despite qualifying and being the Nigerian champion, she was not entered into the 100m event due to an administrative error.
“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?” Ofili said in her emotional statement. She also recalled a similar issue at the last Olympics, where 14 Nigerian athletes could not compete due to lack of funds for testing.
READ MORE: Favour Ofili slams Nigerian Officials for 2024 Paris Olympic games error
Ofili has had a stellar season, winning several 100m races and running impressive times, making her a strong contender for medals. She qualified with a time of 11.06s at the Nigerian Olympic trials in Benin City and has run wind-aided times of 10.85s and 10.78s.
In response, Samuel Onikeku, Technical Director of the AFN, 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 AFN’s statement aims to clarify their position amid the ongoing frustration and disappointment over the mishandling of Ofili’s registration.
