World Athletics has rejected an application by Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili to change her international allegiance to Turkey.
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The ruling, announced on April 16, 2026, prevents the 24-year-old from representing Turkey in major international competitions, including the Olympics and World Championships.
World Athletics said the move was necessary to protect the credibility of international competitions, particularly amid rising concerns about large-scale athlete recruitment.
BREAKING!!!!
Favour Ofili 🇳🇬 has been DENIED a transfer of allegiance from Nigeria to 🇹🇷 Türkiye by World Athletics.
The decision states that approving the transfer would compromise key Council imperatives, including protecting the credibility of national representative… pic.twitter.com/z8v2t346jP
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) April 16, 2026
“The decision reflects the need to safeguard the credibility of national representative competitions,” the body stated.
Ofili’s application was reportedly part of a broader submission involving multiple athletes from the Turkish federation, which raised red flags for the governing body.
