World Athletics has rejected Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili’s application to switch her nationality to Turkey, ruling on Thursday that the move was part of a government-funded recruitment campaign threatening the integrity of international competition.
The 23-year-old Olympic finalist is one of 11 athletes from Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica, and Russia whose transfer requests were denied as part of Turkey’s coordinated strategy to assemble a nationally representative athletics team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The World Athletics Nationality Review Panel found that Turkey’s Ministry of Sport and Youth led the recruitment drive through government-owned club Istanbul Genclik Spor Kulubu (IGSK), offering financial packages to established international athletes.
Under Ofili’s club contract, she was to receive $10,000 per month from April 2025 through July 2028, followed by $5,000 per month through October 2032. She was granted Turkish citizenship on May 14, 2025, without being required to relinquish her Nigerian citizenship.
The panel ruled unanimously that approving the transfer would compromise the imperatives established in World Athletics Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, particularly protecting the credibility of national representative competition and encouraging member federations to develop domestic athletic talent.
“By importing athletes specifically to fill national team positions for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the Turkey Ministry-led recruitment campaign directly displaces and compromises those domestic athletes, undermining their long-term pathway expectations,” the panel stated.
The ruling acknowledged Ofili’s legitimate frustrations with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. The AFN failed to register her for the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite her having qualified, and previously prevented her from competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by failing to complete required anti-doping paperwork.
Favour Ofili, who holds the Nigerian women’s 200m record of 21.96 seconds and finished sixth in the 200m final at Paris 2024, had cited both institutional failures and personal safety concerns in Nigeria as reasons for her decision.
However, the panel determined that grievances with a home federation are not determinative of national allegiance under the rules. They also found that Ofili’s connection to Turkey had not been sufficiently established, noting that at the time of application, she lived, studied, and trained in Louisiana.
Among the athletes whose transfer applications were assessed as part of the same block were Olympic discus champion Roje Stona of Jamaica, Olympic long jump silver medalist Wayne Pinnock, Olympic shot put bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell, and world under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert.
The Turkey Athletics Federation filed Ofili’s application on July 4, 2025. World Athletics rules require a three-year waiting period from the application date before a transfer can be approved for athletes who last represented their country at the Olympics.
When Favour Ofili publicly confirmed her switch in September 2025, AFN President Tonobok Okowa told ESPN: “Ofili herself knows the whole truth. This is all about money.”
Ofili denied financial considerations drove her decision, stating the change came “from the heart, not from financial motives.”
Following Thursday’s ruling, the AFN welcomed the decision and said it was ready to move forward with the athlete. “What she needs most from stakeholders is love, support, encouragement and more love,” Okowa said in a statement.
The federation called on officials, fans, and the athletics community to provide an environment where she could reach her potential on the global stage.
The ruling does not prevent Ofili from continuing to live, train, or compete in club or invitational events in Turkey. It affects only her eligibility to represent the country in national representative competitions such as the World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games.
The Turkey Athletics Federation has 30 days from the decision date to request reconsideration and may subsequently appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Ofili holds the world 150m record of 15.85 seconds, set in Atlanta in May 2025, and was the first female NCAA athlete to break 22 seconds in the 200m during her collegiate career at Louisiana State University.
