Bahrain Faces Sanctions Over Naturalized Athletes and Doping Allegations

Bahrain's track team faces sanctions linked to doping, including restriction to a maximum of 10 athletes for Paris Olympics and Tokyo 2025 World Championships. The Bahrain Athletics Association admitted misconduct, leading to a ban on recruiting foreign athletes until 2027 and establishing a local talent academy.

Bahrain's track team is forced to halt its successful strategy of naturalizing African athletes due to newly accepted doping-related sanctions.

The World Athletics governing body announced that Bahrain would be limited to a maximum of 10 athletes at the Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Key athletes like Kenya-born Winfred Yavi and Nigeria-born Salwa Eid Naser were not implicated but are affected by the sweeping measures. The Bahrain Athletics Association admitted to negligence and misconduct regarding doping practices and employing banned coaches.

The investigation revealed that two athletes used blood transfusions during the Tokyo Olympics 2021, and Bahrain had agreed not to recruit new foreign athletes until 2027. Instead, focus will shift to developing local talent through a newly funded academy and an updated national anti-doping body.

(With inputs from agencies.)