World Athletics blocks Ofili’s move to Turkey, cites integrity concerns

World Athletics has rejected the request by Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili to switch allegiance to Turkey, ruling against her application alongside those of 10 other foreign athletes.

The decision, taken by the governing body’s Nationality Review Panel, followed an assessment that the requests were part of a broader recruitment effort by the Turkish Athletics Federation to attract overseas talent.

World Athletics said the approach raised concerns about the integrity of international competition, warning that large-scale recruitment of foreign athletes could undermine the development of homegrown talent.

Ofili, 23, began the process in 2025 after publicly criticising the Athletics Federation of Nigeria over what she described as administrative lapses that affected her career.

She notably missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after Nigeria failed to meet mandatory drug-testing requirements on her behalf. Another administrative error also denied her participation in the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics when her name was not submitted in time.

In a statement, World Athletics said approving the applications would conflict with its eligibility rules and transfer regulations.

“The panel found that the applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy… to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts, with the aim of facilitating transfers of allegiance and enabling those athletes to represent Türkiye at future international competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” the statement read.

The body added that such a strategy runs counter to the principles designed to preserve the credibility of global athletics and encourage national federations to invest in domestic talent development.

As a result of the ruling, Ofili and the other affected athletes remain ineligible to represent Turkey in international competitions. However, World Athletics clarified that they can still compete in one-day meets or road races in personal or club capacities and may live and train in Turkey.

The organisation reiterated that while citizenship is a key factor, athletes seeking to change nationality must meet strict criteria to demonstrate a genuine connection to the country they intend to represent, in line with rules aimed at safeguarding the sport’s integrity.