Bahrain’s successful strategy of naturalizing athletes from Africa, a tactic that has contributed to the country’s track and field success, has been dealt a significant blow. World Athletics, the sport’s governing body, announced a package of sanctions against Bahrain, stemming from allegations of doping and negligence.
The sanctions include a limitation on the number of athletes Bahrain can field in major competitions. For the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next year, Bahrain will be restricted to a maximum of 10 athletes in track and field events. This means that the country’s roster of naturalized athletes, including gold medalist Winfred Yavi and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser, will be significantly reduced. Neither athlete has been accused of any wrongdoing in this case.
Bahrain’s Athletics Association admitted to “conducting itself in relation to doping, negligently and/or recklessly and/or so as to prejudice the interests of World Athletics or bring the sport of athletics into disrepute.” The association also admitted to employing staff who worked with athletes, despite these staff members being under doping-related bans. These admissions followed an investigation into allegations that two athletes used blood transfusions at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and into the BAA’s engagement with a coach under a doping ban.
As a result of these sanctions, Bahrain has agreed not to recruit any more foreign athletes until 2027. This decision signifies a significant shift in the country’s track and field strategy. In addition, Bahrain has pledged to establish a “talent academy” to nurture local athletes and has also committed to creating a new national anti-doping body.
This isn’t the first time Bahrain has faced scrutiny over doping, particularly among its naturalized athletes. In the past, Naser was banned from the Tokyo Olympics for missing drug tests, while Kemi Adekoya, a former world indoor champion, received a four-year ban in 2019 for a steroid case. Marius Kimutai, a marathon runner, was also banned for three years in April after failing a drug test. These instances highlight the challenges Bahrain has faced in maintaining the integrity of its track and field program. The recent sanctions will undoubtedly force a significant reassessment of the country’s approach to developing athletes and will likely impact its future performance on the world stage.
