Nigerian sprinter Favour Ashe has confirmed his decision to switch international allegiance from Nigeria to Qatar. The 100m runner, who holds a personal best of 9.79 seconds, said the move was driven by long standing issues within Nigerian athletics.
Ashe disclosed that he has been based in Qatar for the last five months and is already preparing to compete under his new flag. He described the Nigerian athletics environment as unfavourable to his development and said he was seeking stability and proper support.
The sprinter pointed to his disqualification from the 100m final at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta as a turning point. He said the incident highlighted broader problems around athlete welfare and organisation.
According to Ashe, Qatar has structured training, international competition opportunities, and consistent athlete support.
He also confirmed that the Qatar Athletics Federation has arranged overseas training camps as part of its programme.
Ashe added that several young Nigerian athletes are already part of Qatar’s Olympic training system and warned that more could follow if conditions do not improve at home.