Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has left out U.S.-based 200m sprinter Favour Ofili on its list of 15 athletes for the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Ofili was said to have initiated switching allegiance to Turkey, a claim AFN has not officially debunked.
In a statement by AFN on Sunday, the 15-member athletics team will represent Nigeria at the 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships holding from September 13–21, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.
The Team Nigeria list consists of seven female and eight male athletes billed to feature in 11 events covering 100m (men), 100m (women), 100mH (women), 200m (men), 400m (men), 400mH (men), Long Jump (men), Long Jump (women), Shot Put (men), Discus (women), and Hammer (women). On the list are 100mH world record holder Oluwatobi Amusan, Olympic bronze medalist Ese Brume (Long Jump), new 400m hurdle sensation Nathaniel Ezekiel, and veteran Nigerian Shot Put thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.
Others on the AFN’s Tokyo list are: Rosemary Chukwuma (100m women), Prestina Ochonogor (Long Jump women), Chioma Onyekwere Lyons (Discus women), Obiageri Amaechi (Discus women), Oyesade Olatoye (Hammer women), Kayinsola Ajayi (100m men), Israel Okon (100m men), Udodi Onwuzurike (200m men), Samuel Ogazi (400m men), Chidi Okezie (400m men), and Charles Godfred (Long Jump men).
The AFN said the final selection was based on merit and the laid-down qualification standards set by World Athletics.