July 31, (THEWILL) – The recent omission of Favour Ofili from the 100m women’s event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is a damning indictment of the incompetence plaguing Nigerian sports administration. This egregious error, attributed to the negligence of both the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), is not merely a clerical oversight but a grave injustice to an athlete who has dedicated years to representing her nation at the highest level.
Ofili, a 21-year-old sprinter with a promising career ahead, qualified for both the 100m and 200m events. Her exclusion from the 100m race due to administrative failures is nothing short of scandalous. The young athlete’s frustration is palpable in her social media post, where she rightly questions the point of her four-year effort to earn this opportunity.
This is not an isolated incident. It is a recurring nightmare for Nigerian athletes. In the previous Olympic Games, 14 Nigerian athletes were barred from competing due to inadequate testing provisions – another failure laid at the feet of the AFN, NOC, and the Nigerian Anti-Doping Committee (NADC). The pattern of neglect and incompetence is clear and deeply troubling.
Such repeated failures not only crush the dreams of individual athletes but also tarnish the reputation of Nigerian sports on the global stage. It is no wonder that many talented Nigerian athletes choose to represent other nations at the earliest opportunity. Examples abound, such as Salwa Eid Naser (formerly Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu), who now competes for Bahrain, and Gloria Alozie, who switched allegiance to Spain. These talented individuals felt compelled to seek better support and opportunities elsewhere, depriving Nigeria of potential Olympic glory.
The Nigerian women’s basketball team’s experience further illustrates this systemic problem. Despite their dominance in African basketball, the team faced numerous challenges in their Olympic preparation. From logistical nightmares to subpar accommodations, their journey to the Games was marred by a lack of support from their own federation. Even their participation in the opening ceremony was denied at the last minute, disrupting their training schedule.
These incidents paint a picture of a sports administration that is not just inefficient but actively harmful to the athletes it should be supporting. The government must address this issue urgently. It is not enough to celebrate when athletes win medals; the entire system needs an overhaul to ensure that athletes are given every opportunity to succeed.
The AFN, NOC, and NADC must be held accountable for their failures. There should be a thorough investigation into how Ofili’s name was left off the entry list, and those responsible should face consequences. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of the sports administration system is necessary to prevent such mishaps in the future.
Nigerian athletes deserve better. They train tirelessly, make countless sacrifices, and carry the hopes of a nation on their shoulders. The least they can expect is competent administration that ensures they can compete on the global stage they have rightfully earned.
It is time for the Nigerian government to take decisive action. The future of Nigerian athletics – and indeed, all Nigerian sports – depends on creating a system that supports and empowers athletes rather than hindering them. Until then, we risk losing more talent to other nations and squandering the immense potential of Nigerian sports.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
