Paris 2024: Favour Ofili qualifies for women’s 200 metres semi-final
Nigeria’s Favour Ofili has secured her place in the women’s 200 metres semi-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ofili delivered an impressive performance, winning heat 6 with a season-best time of 22.24 seconds. She outpaced Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Gambia’s Gina Bass-Bittaye, who also qualified for the semi-finals.
Speaking about her achievement, Ofili expressed her elation: “I’m thrilled to make it to the semi-finals. It’s been a tough journey, but I’m ready to give my best in the next race.”
However, Ofili’s participation in the 100 metres has been marred by controversy. She was notably absent from the event due to administrative errors by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).
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Ofili took to Twitter to voice her frustration: “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 metres at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for four years to earn this opportunity. For what?”
In response to the exclusion, Nigerian Sports Minister John Owan Enoh has pledged to investigate the matter. Enoh stated: “I have been informed that other countries face similar issues, but my primary concern is with Nigeria.
I need to understand who is responsible for the non-listing of Favour Ofili. At what point did her name drop out of the 100m race? Who is accountable for this oversight?”
Enoh further emphasised: “World Athletics had submitted the final list in July. AFN should have flagged the omission of Ofili’s name. This oversight raises several questions about the communication between AFN, NOC, and World Athletics. We need clarity on what went wrong and who is to blame.”
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