Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili will be unable to compete for Türkiye at the 2028 Olympic Games after World Athletics rejected her request to switch nationality, citing concerns over the integrity of international competition.
The decision, delivered on April 16, 2026, by the sport’s Nationality Review Panel, blocks an application submitted by the Türkiye Athletics Federation to secure the 23-year-old’s allegiance ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics.
In its ruling, the panel said approving the request would conflict with established regulations governing athlete transfers and potentially weaken fairness in global athletics.
“The eleven applications form part of a recruitment strategy led by the Türkiye government to recruit overseas talent by offering lucrative club-level contracts to induce transfers of allegiance and ensure the athletes become eligible to represent Turkey at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,’ the decision stated.
The panel, comprising Donna Raynor, Cydonie Motherskill and Susanne van Waert, concluded that the broader pattern surrounding the application raised significant ethical and regulatory concerns.
Ofili, who last competed for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics, had been granted Turkish citizenship in May 2025, paving the way for her proposed switch.
However, the panel noted that her request was tied to personal grievances with the Nigerian Athletics Federation, including alleged administrative failures and safety concerns.
“The transfer aims to protect her sports career and mental health following disputes with the Nigerian Athletics Federation and personal safety concerns,’ the Panel noted from her testimony.
Despite acknowledging her reasons, World Athletics maintained that the circumstances did not justify an exception to its rules, effectively ruling her out of representing Türkiye in major international competitions, including the 2028 Olympics.
