World Athletics has dealt a significant blow to Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, rejecting her attempt to switch her international allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey and effectively shutting the door on her hopes of competing for the European nation at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The decision, issued on April 16, 2026, was made by World Athletics’ Nationality Review Panel, which reviewed her application alongside that of 10 other foreign athletes who had similarly sought to represent Turkey for the rest of their careers. The panel, comprising members Donna Raynor, Cydonie Motherskill and Susanne van Waert, concluded that all 11 applications were the result of a coordinated recruitment campaign orchestrated by the Turkish government through a wholly owned state-financed club, according to The Athletic.

❌World Athletics refuses transfer of allegiance to Turkey for 11 athletes after determining the applications were “part of a coordinated recruitment strategy led by the Türkiye government” and the approach was “inconsistent with the core principles of the regulations”. pic.twitter.com/x7FcAAHZ8g

— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) April 16, 2026

“The applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy led by the Türkiye government acting through a wholly-owned and financed government club, to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts,” the panel stated, noting that the scheme was designed to facilitate transfers of allegiance and enable athletes to represent Turkey at future international competitions, including Los Angeles 2028.

World Athletics said approving the transfers would undermine the foundational principles behind its eligibility regulations, which are intended to encourage member federations to invest in homegrown talent and to ensure that national teams are built on genuine ties rather than external recruitment.

“These principles are designed to safeguard the credibility of international competition, encourage Member Federations to invest in the development of domestic talent and maintain confidence among athletes that national teams are not primarily assembled through external recruitment,” the governing body added.

Ofili, 23, had been granted Turkish citizenship in May 2025 after the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)’s negligence cost her participation at two Olympic Games. She missed the Tokyo 2020 Games after Nigeria failed to meet mandatory drug-testing requirements on her behalf, and was left out of the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics when her name was not submitted to the organisers in time.

During the panel’s proceedings, Ofili argued that her decision to relocate to Turkey was driven by professional frustrations and personal safety concerns. The panel noted her testimony but ultimately ruled that the circumstances surrounding her transfer did not satisfy the requirements of World Athletics’ transfer of allegiance regulations, which demand a genuine connection between an athlete and the nation they wish to represent, beyond mere citizenship.

Ofili will remain ineligible to represent Turkey in any national competition or major international event, though the panel clarified that she is free to compete in one-day meetings or road races under a personal or club capacity, and may continue to live and train in Turkey.