United States-based sprinter Favour Ashe has opted to switch international allegiance from Nigeria to Qatar, citing what he described as an unfavourable athletics environment back home.
Ashe, regarded as one of Nigeria’s fastest sprinters in recent years, confirmed he has been in Qatar for the past five months and is in the process of completing his nationality switch.
Speaking to The Guardian, the 9.79 seconds personal best holder said he is moving to a system where he believes he will be respected and adequately rewarded.
He expressed frustration over his experience at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, where he was disqualified from the 100m final — an incident that reportedly left him deeply disappointed.
“The Qatar federation is taking us to South Africa to begin our season there. This is something Nigeria will never do,” Ashe said, adding that several young Nigerian athletes are already enrolled in Qatar’s Olympic training programme with improved welfare support.
He warned that more athletes may follow the same path, noting that many are considering switching allegiance to countries offering better financial compensation and consistent competitive opportunities.
Another Nigerian sprinter, Sunday Akintan, who recently clocked 6.48 seconds indoors, is also reportedly in the process of switching to Qatar as the Gulf nation strengthens its 4x100m relay team with Nigerian talents.
Ashe previously represented Team Delta at the National Sports Festival. However, officials of the Delta State Sports Commission said they were unaware of his decision. It is also unclear whether he received any training grants this year from the National Sports Commission.
His move mirrors that of Favour Ofili, who switched allegiance to Turkey last year, citing alleged ill treatment by officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria during the Paris Olympics.
Ashe’s departure adds to growing concerns over athlete welfare and the increasing trend of Nigerian sports stars seeking better opportunities abroad.
