The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is facing criticism after Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili revealed that her name is missing from the entry list for the women’s 100m event at the Paris Olympics. Ofili, who qualified for the event with a personal best of 11.06 seconds during the AFN National Trials, expressed her frustration on social media, stating that the AFN and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) failed to register her for the race despite her qualifying efforts.
In her statement, Ofili lamented, “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 four years to earn this opportunity. For what?” She also highlighted that this situation mirrors her experience during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where administrative failures prevented her from competing.
Samuel Onikeku, the Technical Director of AFN, expressed surprise at the development, insisting that Ofili was indeed registered for the 100m, 200m, and the women’s 4x100m relay. He stated, “We don’t know how her name got missing in the 100m. This is our stand as a federation.”Despite the setback in the 100m, Ofili is confirmed to compete in the 200m and the women’s 4x100m relay at the Games. The first round of the women’s 100m is set to begin on Friday, intensifying the scrutiny on the AFN and NOC regarding their handling of athlete registrations.