‘We don’t know how her name got missing’ – AFN responds to Favour Ofili’s 100m omission at Paris 2024
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.
The federation’s response comes after Ofili, the Nigerian 100m champion, expressed her disappointment and frustration on social media, revealing that her name was not registered for the event despite her qualification.
In her emotional statement, Ofili lamented the missed opportunity: “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. 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 further criticized the organizations involved, recalling a similar situation in the previous Olympics where funds were not released for athlete testing, affecting 14 Nigerian athletes.
“I HOPE I’M ENTERED,” she added, expressing her hope to compete in the 200m event.
In response, Samuel Onikeku, Technical Director of the AFN, denied any wrongdoing: “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.”
Ofili had run a time of 11.06 seconds at the Nigerian Olympic trials in Benin City to secure her place among the 56 Nigerian athletes scheduled to compete in Paris. Her impressive performances this season included wind-aided times of 10.85s and 10.78s, making her a strong contender for a medal.
The AFN’s response has done little to ease the disappointment felt by Ofili and her supporters, as the federation grapples with the fallout from this oversight.
