Nigerian sprint star Favour Ashe has opted to switch his international allegiance from Nigeria to Qatar.
Ashe, currently Nigeria’s seventh-fastest man in history with a Personal Best of 9.94 seconds in the 100m, cited dissatisfaction with the treatment he received at the 2025 National Sports Festival as a major factor behind his decision.
Favour Ashe 🇳🇬 transfers allegiance from Nigeria to 🇶🇦 Qatar!!
He is currently Nigeria’s 7th fastest man in history with his Personal Best (PB) of 9.94s over 100m.
Ashe said he was not treated properly at the 2025 National Sports Festival, adding that those managing Athletics… pic.twitter.com/9mtGtxxVcR
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) February 15, 2026
The sprinter expressed frustration with the management of athletics in Nigeria, alleging a lack of empathy from officials.
According to him, returning home to continue his career proved to be a setback, as he struggled with inadequate training facilities and substandard tracks.
Having completed his studies in the United States, Ashe explained that he no longer had access to collegiate training structures, further compounding his challenges.
The speedster disclosed that he has been based in Qatar for the past five months and was surprised by the number of young Nigerian athletes already training in the Gulf nation.
“I am very sure we will form a formidable 4x100m relay team for Qatar,” Ashe stated confidently.
However, his switch of nationality is yet to be ratified by World Athletics. Under existing regulations, Ashe will be required to observe a three-year waiting period from his last appearance for Nigeria and is projected to be eligible to represent Qatar after 2027.
