Femi Ashekun/
Sports Minister, Senator John Enor, has promised sanctions following the exclusion of Nigerian athlete, Favour Ofili, from the 100m event at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris.
Despite being a top athlete, Ofili was reportedly not registered by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
In a statement on X this afternoon, the minister said he addressed Team Nigeria athletes in Paris, on Sunday, emphasizing open communication and directly addressing their concerns. This included a session with Favour Ofili, who expressed her worries about her race registrations.
The Minister said he thereafter contacted Professor Ken Anugweje, head of the Ministerial Podium Performance Committee, to resolve the issue and the latter assured him that he was in touch with Chief Solomon Ogba, NOC’s 1st Vice President, and that the matter was being handled.
Despite assurances from AFN officials, including, Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, and the Secretary General, who confirmed Ofili’s registration for multiple events, she was still omitted from the 100m race.
Ofili, a decorated athlete with top-eight finishes at the World Championships, and medals from the Commonwealth Games and African Championships, expressed her frustration on social media yesterday.
She lamented the incompetence of the AFN and NOC, recalling similar issues during the last Olympics.
The Sports Minister condemned this negligence, vowing thorough investigations and sanctions.
He demanded that the AFN and NOC ensure Ofili competes in her registered events at the Paris Olympics, highlighting the ministry’s zero-tolerance policy for incompetence.
Ofili has recently set new African records, including in the 200m and 150m events.
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