Favour Ofili has left Nigeria's track team to compete for Turkey instead. The 22-year-old sprinter holds the world record for running 150 meters. She made this decision just three months before the World Championships start in Tokyo. A sports reporter from Jamaica first shared this news on social media. The switch became official on May 31st.
Ofili feels angry about how Nigeria's track officials treated her. They messed up her paperwork and she missed the Tokyo Olympics because of it. The same thing happened again when they forgot to sign her up for the 100-meter race in Paris. She could only run the 200 meters and came in sixth place. She told officials her move to Turkey has nothing to do with money.
The young athlete broke a major record recently at a track meet in Atlanta. She ran 150 meters faster than anyone ever has before. Her time of 15.85 seconds beat the old record that had stood for years. Turkey has been recruiting top athletes from other countries this year. They reportedly pay foreign runners up to half a million dollars to join their team.
Many talented Nigerian athletes have switched countries over the years. Poor management from sports officials has driven them away. These runners and jumpers have found success representing other nations instead. World Athletics still shows Ofili as a Nigerian athlete on their website. She has already qualified to compete at the upcoming World Championships in Japan.
Ofili feels angry about how Nigeria's track officials treated her. They messed up her paperwork and she missed the Tokyo Olympics because of it. The same thing happened again when they forgot to sign her up for the 100-meter race in Paris. She could only run the 200 meters and came in sixth place. She told officials her move to Turkey has nothing to do with money.
The young athlete broke a major record recently at a track meet in Atlanta. She ran 150 meters faster than anyone ever has before. Her time of 15.85 seconds beat the old record that had stood for years. Turkey has been recruiting top athletes from other countries this year. They reportedly pay foreign runners up to half a million dollars to join their team.
Many talented Nigerian athletes have switched countries over the years. Poor management from sports officials has driven them away. These runners and jumpers have found success representing other nations instead. World Athletics still shows Ofili as a Nigerian athlete on their website. She has already qualified to compete at the upcoming World Championships in Japan.
