Favour Onyah Upset Over Commonwealth Games Selection

Nigerian sprinter Favour Onyah is upset and might stop representing Nigeria. This comes after she was left out of the athletics team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, even though she qualified during the national trials, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Onyah was one of the 15 athletes who started training in Abuja on June 25. They were there because of their performances at the National Athletics Trials in Lagos.

During the women’s 400m final, she ran a great race, finishing in 52.68 seconds to win the national title. The 19-year-old was also picked for Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team, which includes Patience Okon-George, Ella Onojuvwevwo, and Esther Joseph.

After the camp in Abuja, the athletics team went to Aberdeen, Scotland, to prepare at the Aberdeen Sports Village ahead of the Games. But Onyah did not move forward from the first phase of camp in Abuja. She has since gone back to her training base in the US.

In a TikTok post, Onyah shared her frustration. She said she has had enough of what she called repeated disappointments.

“Yes, I qualified for my first senior Commonwealth Games. And yes, I won’t be running for Nigeria. You can never guess the reason. I already forgave them three times; I don’t plan on making it four. You all are free to judge me for the next step I’ll be taking. I’ve had enough,” she said.

Earlier this year, Onyah represented Nigeria at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana as part of the women’s 4x400m relay team. She also won three gold medals at the 2025 CAA U-20 African Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

She claimed the women’s 400m title in 52.47 seconds, finishing ahead of the silver medallist by half a second. She also helped Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team win gold in a time of 3:37.02, finishing seven seconds ahead of the others.

Her third gold medal was in the mixed 4x400m relay, where she ran the anchor leg to help Nigeria sweep all the relay events.

After the National Trials, other athletes who did well in Lagos also showed their disappointment with the selection process for the Commonwealth Games.

Former Nigerian sprinter and athletics coach Deji Aliu criticized the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. He said they are not consistent with their selection standards.

“Every serious athletics nation runs on clear, published selection criteria, trials, qualifying marks, rankings, and head-to-head results. No ambiguity. Athletes know, ‘If I hit this, I’m on the team.’ That transparency is what builds trust with the athletes, the public and, most importantly, sponsors,” Aliu explained.

“Athletes lose faith if selection looks political or is handled through last-minute decisions. Sponsors also walk away. No brand wants to attach its name to a federation that appears chaotic or unfair. Sponsors fund systems, not drama. They want visibility and credibility.”