The World Athletics Nationality Review Panel has flatly denied applications from 11 elite athletes seeking to transfer their allegiance to Turkiye. The governing body stated that approving these requests would "impinge upon and compromise the imperatives underlying the World Athletics eligibility rules and transfer of allegiance regulations."
This decision signals a crackdown on what World Athletics perceives as a strategy of "external recruitment" by member federations, potentially undermining the integrity of international competition and the development of domestic talent.
The athletes affected hail from various nations, including Kenya, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Russia. Among them are notable figures such as Brigid Kosgei, former women's marathon world record-holder, and Roje Stona, the 2024 Olympic men's discus gold medalist. Other prominent athletes denied transfers include Kenyan runners Ronald Kwemoi, Brian Kibor, Nelvin Jepkemboi, and Catherine Relin (Selin Can) Amanang’ole, alongside Jamaicans Rajindra Campbell, Jaydon Hibbert, and Wayne Pinnock, and Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, and Russian athlete Sophia Yakushina.
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The panel's refusal means these athletes are now ineligible to represent Turkiye in national representative competitions or other relevant international events. World Athletics emphasized that its principles are designed to "safeguard the credibility of international competition, encourage member federations to invest in the development of domestic talent and maintain confidence among athletes that national teams are not primarily assembled through external recruitment."
Background and Context
Reports suggest Turkiye had been engaging in a strategy of offering significant financial incentives to recruit foreign track and field stars, with an apparent focus on building a competitive team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This move comes as the country has seen limited success in track and field at recent Olympic Games, winning eight medals in total at Paris 2024, none of them gold.
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The World Athletics regulations on the transfer of allegiance are intended to govern the conditions under which an athlete can represent a different member federation in international competition. While these athletes are barred from representing Turkiye internationally, the decision does not restrict their participation in one-day meetings or road races, nor does it prevent them from residing or training within Turkiye.
