As reactions continue trailing the switch in allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey by female sprinter, Favour Ofili, a former technical director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Sunday Adeleye admits it was because she lost eight years of her career due to careless officials.
Sports247 reports that Adeleye, who has been an integral part of the AFN’s technical duties for over five years, did not point fingers at any particular individual as a culprit in issues that led to Ofili’s defection, but he opted to give a general perspective to the matter.
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Adeleye further opined that the factors that led to Ofili missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as the 2024 edition in Paris, were not properly handled, and he then admitted that Nigeria has lost a very promising athlete.
The athletics guru noted, “It’s a sad one and a very big loss for us as a country. Ofili has reached the apex of her career as a young, smart, vibrant and fast athlete.
“Unfortunately, a whole lot of people have not been fair to that poor girl. What happened to her in Tokyo and Paris became issues that were not properly managed.”
The AFN’s immediate past technical egg head, who also faced some controversial moments during his time in charge of the pivotal department, reasoned further that better approaches to heated issues need to be put in place.
He added, “There should be ways by which such things can be sorted and resolved. She’s a daughter, a sister, and a human being who needs to be comforted.
“Not showing an impression of her importance, making her feel as if she is nobody, was not a good approach.
“We should not be saying, ‘If she goes, what will happen?’ Or that she’s leaving just for the money. That was not the best approach.”
He concluded by stressing that Nigeria would have gained a lot of honour had Ofili competed at the Olympics of Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but noted how the laxity of some officials prevented that from happening.
“The issue is that she was ill-treated. It means a lot to prepare for the Olympics. It’s a circle of four years. It means eight years of that girl’s Olympic dream were wasted.
“She could not compete where she wanted to achieve landmark performances … not just for herself, but also for the country,” Adeleye submitted.
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