NIGERIAN sprinter Favour Ofili will not be competing in the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics although she met the qualification requirements.
Athletics, one of the most popular Olympic sports, will begin on Thursday and Ofili is one of Nigeria’s rising stars in the sprints.
The 21-year-old revealed herself tonight on X that, for unclear reasons, her name was not put forward by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
“It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 metres 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?” the United States of America-based athlete lamented.
Ofili was listed as a participant in the women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay when the AFN released their squad for the Games, and she hopes she can at least participate in the other races, to avoid the heartbreak of three years ago in Tokyo.
“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 Nigeria 🇳🇬 athletes that qualified to not compete. Now THIS.
“If those responsible are NOT held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organization can EVER be trusted in the future!
“Next one is the 200meters.
I HOPE I’M ENTERED.”
Ofili is Nigeria’s biggest women’s 100m and 200m prospect currently, with impressive personal bests of 10.93 seconds (100m) and 21.96 seconds (200m National Record).
She won the 200m silver medal at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England in 2022.
