The National Sports Commission (NSC) has reportedly initiated formal steps to prevent Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili from representing Turkey at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
According to a senior official of the Commission, Ofili was among a select group of elite athletes who benefitted from government-backed training grants and high-performance support programmes in 2025. The NSC argues that, having received significant public investment in her development, the athlete remains contractually and administratively tied to Nigeria’s sporting framework.
Under current international eligibility regulations, athletes who switch national allegiance are typically required to observe a three-year waiting period from their last competitive appearance for their former country. However, the Commission is said to be petitioning the relevant global athletics authorities to extend Ofili’s ineligibility period beyond the standard timeframe.
The NSC is reportedly requesting that the waiting period run until September 2028 — after the conclusion of the Los Angeles Olympic Games — effectively ruling her out of participation for Turkey at the global showpiece.
The move signals a firm stance by Nigerian sports administrators amid growing concerns over athlete transfers and the loss of home-grown talent to rival nations. It also raises broader questions about athlete mobility, investment protection and the balance between personal career decisions and national sporting interests.
Neither Ofili nor representatives of the Turkish athletics federation have publicly responded to the reported development at the time of writing.
— Source: The Guardian Nigeria