Reports linking Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ashe with a switch of allegiance to Qatar have been thrown into doubt after World Athletics confirmed that no formal application has been submitted.
Speculation gathered pace earlier this month following claims that the 23-year-old had opted to represent the Middle Eastern nation. The rumours intensified after Favour Ashe spoke glowingly about Qatar’s training arrangements in South Africa, fuelling suggestions that a move was imminent.
However, Maggie Durand, Head of Communications at World Athletics, dismissed the claims when contacted.
“We can confirm that no application has been received,” Durand told Punch.
Ashe, who boasts a lifetime best of 9.94 seconds in the 100m, sits joint-sixth on Nigeria’s all-time list alongside Davidson Ezinwa. He is the second high-profile Nigerian athlete to be linked with a nationality switch this year, after 150m world record holder Favour Ofili.
Under World Athletics regulations, any athlete who successfully transfers allegiance must observe a three-year waiting period before competing for their new federation.
“It should be noted that, should the application be successful, there is a standard three-year waiting period before an athlete can represent their new member federation,” World Athletics said.
“We remain committed to ensuring that all transfers of allegiance are conducted fairly, transparently and in the best interests of the sport.”
Should Ashe proceed with a switch, his waiting period would likely be calculated from 2025, as he competed at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta last May. That timeline could rule him out of representing Qatar before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
While Ashe has disclosed that he has been in Qatar for about five months, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has yet to clarify his status. Its president, Tonobok Okowa, previously said the federation was investigating the matter but had not given a fresh update on the matter at the time of writing this report.
In the meantime, Ashe appears to be embracing life in Qatar. He recently shared a photograph of himself wearing the country’s kit and spoke candidly about the support structure available to athletes there.
Ashe’s rise has been nothing short of striking. In 2022, he clocked a wind-assisted 9.79 seconds in a 100m heat at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, the fastest time ever run by a Nigerian under all conditions.
He followed that with a then personal best of 9.96 seconds at the NCAA Championships in Texas in June 2023, before lowering it to 9.94 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Finals in Kentucky in May 2024.
He later finished runner-up in the 100m at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, dipping under 10 seconds once again with 9.99 seconds in the final.
