Favour Chukwuka Ofili is a Nigeria track and field sprinter who competes in the 100m, 200m and 4/400m relay races. She was born on the 31st, December, 2002 in Port Harcourt, but hails from Delta State.
Ofili was discovered in Asaba when she competed in the junior festivals before representing Delta State at the youth games. As luck would have it, she was among those who benefitted from the state program of sending athletes on scholarship to the United States of America.
By my last count, over 40 students have benefitted from the scholarship program and some of them including Ofili have blossomed and are representing the country at the international level.
She had her primary and secondary education in Delta State before leaving for the United States of America on a scholarship to study at Louisiana State University. She made her Olympic debut for women’s 200m on August 4th, 2024 at the summer Olympics in Paris but could not win any medal.
In a report which surfaced earlier this week, it was said, according to sources close to her that she threatened to boycott the World Athletics relays in China over “unresolved issues”.
The reports states that” Nigeria’s leading sprinter, Favour Ofili who is among the athletes listed for the 2005 World athletics relay billed to hold in Guangzhou, China on May 10 and 11, is threatening to boycott the competition, citing unresolved issues from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Ofili was erroneously omitted from Nigeria’s 100m women’s list at the multi fiesta in France. The then Sports Minister, John Enoh vowed to get to the root of the matter and punish those who are responsible for the error.
However, last Monday, Ofili complained that rather than tackle the issues, those who caused her name to be removed from the list have again been listed among officials for the world relays.
The Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) quickly came out with a press release insisting that they do not have” unresolved issues” with Favour Ofili.
AFN President, Tonobok Okowa declared emphatically to Journalists that following what happened at the Paris Olympics, the then Sports Minister, John Enoh set up a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the omission of Ofili’s name from the country’s 100m list.
Tonobok reminded Ofili and those who are still in her shoes that the committee did not submit their resignation to the Minister before he was removed neither did they submit it to the present Chairman of the National Sports Commission.
According to Tonobok, it was an exercise in futility. It was null and void as nobody could lay hands on the report as it was read on radio by the committee.
Stakeholders have begun to question the rationale behind Ofili’s insistence that some people whom she claimed did it and are presently on their way to China must be punished. The question begging for an answer is if she knows the people, why did she not tell or reveal the names to the world when that issue happened?. Why did she wait till when a major competition is coming up before crying out?
It is pertinent to say that the error was between Nigerian Olympic Commission and Athletics Federation of Nigeria and no one could lay claim to the error till today.
Instead, stakeholders are of the opinion that Ofili cannot play the role of a prosecutor and judge in this case rather, she should concentrate on her career. There are of the opinion that she cannot bite the fingers that fed her because these people discovered her from the grassroots, nurtured her and brought her to limelight.
“This is a lost battle because these people were responsible for her upbringing right from the Secondary School days even when there was serious objection from her relations. In Sports, she cannot do without the Coaches and those in the management circle. So, the best thing is to face her studies and career. Any distraction will not augur well for her and she is too young to get herself embroiled in such controversy’’ said an athletics Coach who spoke on the basis of anonymity.
Another stakeholder opined that Ofili should emulate the likes of Tobi Amusan, an embodiment of humility who has won laurels and others like Tina Eyakpobeyan, Patience Okon George, Rosemary Chukwuma, etc.
“She is just one among numerous athletes who have travelled and who are doing well. Take a look at Endurance Ojokolo who is now a national Coach. She represented this country and won medals. What of Faliat Ogundiya and Mary Onyali. What of Ese Brume and co. Ofili should stop all these and focus on her career. What she should be doing now is to see how she can build bridges and pray for luck to shine on her rather than have enemies’’.
On a final note, Ofili should know that a lot of people did not reckon with that committee and they proved people right by playing to the gallery to read their recommendations on the radio and newspapers rather than submit it to the appropriate authorities. She has a bright future and should not allow the past to destroy her future.
