★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
★ Friends: Thank you to our 51 donors (!) who have helped meet our technical costs for 2024. If you’re enjoying TSX, please chip in with your donation.. Add your support to make this site even better. ★
≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
“The impetus for the investigation was the serious anti-doping rule violations committed by two BRN athletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games for homologous blood transfusions and the discovery that the BAA had engaged a coach to work with the national team between 2019 and 2021 who was in fact banned from sport for anti-doping rule violations.”
That’s from a statement issued Thursday by World Athletics, confirming a series of strong sanctions against the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) “following historical breaches of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.”
The BAA has admitted to the charges and agreed to some deep sanctions:
● “The BAA’s participation in both the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 will be limited to a maximum of 10 athletes.”
● “The BAA will not participate in any other World Athletics Series events for 12 months from 1 June 2024.”
● “The BAA will not apply for any transfers of allegiance or recruit any foreign athletes until 2027.”
● “The BAA will spend up to $7.3 million over four years on … measures to address the doping and integrity risk in athletics in Bahrain,” including “implementing a detailed strategic plan and operational roadmap (SPOR) as agreed with the AIU to transform the federation and properly manage integrity matters.”
● Further, a national anti-doping organization will be required to be created in Bahrain and funded by the national government through 2026 (this has been done and the agency is in operation for a year) and a talent academy must be set up to help develop native athletes, as opposed to recruiting foreigners to switch allegiances.
Bahrain won two track & field medals at the recent Paris Olympic Games, with Winfred Yavi (born in Kenya) taking gold in the women’s Steeplechase and Salwa Eid Naser (born in Nigeria) winning silver in the women’s 400 m. It sent six athletes to both the 2022 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The ban on participation for 12 months from June 2024 will not impact Bahrain’s attendance at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, scheduled for 13-21 September.
The World Athletics statement lastly noted:
“In the view of the AIU Board, a satisfactory outcome to the matter has been reached – one which appropriately balances the need for punitive measures to send a strong message, and the goal of creating real change within the federation and within the sport.”
The sanctions were the conclusion of an 18-month investigation by the AIU, and included a review of obligations under the AIU regulations, which in some areas, go beyond those required in the World Anti-Doping Code.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
