Nigeria’s super sprinter, Favour Ofilli, has qualified for the final of the 200 meters 2024 Paris Olympics,
Ofili ran a season best of 22.05 to emerge second in the first semi final of the event to qualify for the final.
The 100 meter gold medalist, Julien Alfred ran a race of 21.98 to emerge first in the heat to qualify for the the race.
Mckenzie Long of the United States ran 22.30 seconds to finish third.
Recall that Ofili was not on the line up when the 100m race got off to a start on the 3rd of August. The Minister of Sports Senator John Owan Enoh had given officials of the NOC sleepless nights to make sure Ofili was on the 100 m lineup but to no avail.
According to the Minister, “the NOC President Engr Habu Gumel and his team kept vigil, traversing between the Director of Competition, the Technical Committee and the World Athletics. He said was duly informed that some other countries have similar issues, and these aforementioned bodies do not want to open a floodgate that would become difficult to manage.
“My interest is with my own country Nigeria and who is responsible for the non-listing of Favor Ofili. Furthermore, I have been briefed that World Athletics submitted, that when the final list was published in July by it, AFN should have called its attention to the omission of Favor Ofili’s name. This still doesn’t address the issue.
The Minister, who had earlier appealed to Favor Ofili to refuse to allow this to distract her concentration in the remaining races for which she has been listed is highly elated at the final qualification achieved by Ofili in the 200 Meters race.
Additional Report, The Network.
