Published 4 days ago • loading... • Updated 2 days ago

World Athletics turns down 11 switches to Turkey over recruitment drive

On Thursday, World Athletics rejected Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili's application to switch her sporting nationality to Turkey, a ruling affecting 10 other elite athletes seeking transfers ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
A World Athletics panel found the applications "formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy led by the Turkiye government acting through a wholly-owned and financed government club," prompted by Turkey's performance failure at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The governing body stated that approving the requests "would impinge upon and compromise the imperatives" underlying eligibility rules, emphasizing that national teams should not be assembled primarily through external recruitment to safeguard competition credibility.
Athletics Federation of Nigeria President Tonobok Okowa welcomed the decision, stating Ofili's return marks "a fresh chapter," while confirming the 23-year-old remains eligible to compete for Nigeria with federation support.
Though barred from representing Turkey in national events, the panel noted athletes may still compete in one-day meetings or train in the country; Ofili previously cited administrative lapses within Nigeria's system for her attempted switch.

Insights by Ground AI

35 Articles

World Athletics panel rejects athlete transfers to Turkey

A World Athletics panel has refused 11 athlete transfer requests to Turkey, over what it referred to as a ‘coordinated recruitment strategy’ from the country’s government.

2 days ago·Pointe-Noire, Congo (the)

Read Full Article