World Athletics has rejected Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili’s request to switch allegiance to Turkey, dealing a significant blow to her hopes of representing the European nation at the 2028 Olympic Games.
The decision was confirmed in an official document released on Thursday, where the World Athletics Nationality Review Panel ruled against the application submitted by the Türkiye Athletics Federation after reviewing the circumstances surrounding the move.
“The application… to transfer allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey is not approved,” the panel stated, emphasizing that approving the request would undermine key regulations guiding athlete nationality changes.
The panel—comprising Donna Raynor, Cydonie Motherskill, and Susanne van Waert—concluded that the proposed switch did not meet the governing body’s standards.
The ruling brings an end, for now, to speculation surrounding Ofili’s international future.
The talented sprinter had been linked with a potential move amid ongoing tensions with Nigerian athletics authorities, but this decision ensures she remains eligible only for Nigeria under current rules.
For Nigerian athletics, the outcome provides a moment of relief, keeping one of the country’s top sprint talents within its ranks.
For Ofili, however, it marks a setback—one that leaves her at a crossroads as she weighs her next move ahead of a crucial Olympic cycle.
