Favour Ashe Dumps Nigeria for Qatar: Cites Poor Treatment and Facilities

 Nigerian sprint star Favour Ashe has announced his decision to switch his international athletic allegiance from Nigeria to Qatar, marking another significant loss for Nigerian athletics amid growing concerns over athlete treatment and facilities.

The 23-year-old sprinter, widely regarded as one of Nigeria's top talents in recent years, confirmed the move in recent interviews, including with The Guardian. Ashe, who holds a personal best of 9.94 seconds in the 100m (ranking him as Nigeria's seventh-fastest man in history over the distance), cited poor treatment by sports administrators, substandard training facilities, and limited opportunities as primary reasons for the change.

He revealed that he has been training in Qatar for the past five months, describing it as a "new life" where he feels respected and properly supported. Ashe expressed optimism about contributing to Qatar's sprint program, particularly in building a competitive 4x100m relay team, noting the presence of other young Nigerian athletes already in the country.

The switch follows a challenging period for Ashe, including mistreatment at the 2025 National Sports Festival and difficulties accessing training resources after completing his studies in the United States (where he competed for the University of Oregon). He has also predicted that more Nigerian track and field athletes may follow suit in search of better conditions.

However, the transfer is not yet finalized. It awaits approval from World Athletics, and under current rules, Ashe must serve a three-year waiting period from his last appearance for Nigeria before becoming eligible to compete for Qatar (potentially after 2027, depending on the timeline of his last Nigerian representation).

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has stated it was unaware of the move and has launched an investigation into athletes' statuses. This development comes after similar high-profile switches, including 150m world record holder Favour Ofili's reported change in 2025, highlighting ongoing issues in Nigerian athletics.