World Athletics rejects 11 athlete transfers to Türkiye, including six Africans

World Athletics has rejected allegiance transfer requests from 11 athletes, including six from African countries, dashing their hopes of competing for Türkiye.

The governing body describing the move as a coordinated recruitment drive.

In a statement on Thursday, April 16, World Athletics said its Nationality Review Panel turned down requests involving athletes including Kenya’s former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei, Jamaican Olympic medalists Rojé Stona and Rajindra Campbell, as well as Jaydon Hibbert, Wayne Pinnock, Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, and others.

Overall, five of the athletes were from Kenya, four from Jamaica, one from Nigeria, and another from Russia.

World Athletics said the panel found the moves appeared to be part of a government-backed strategy implemented through a state-funded club, offering lucrative contracts to attract overseas talent ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The panel ruled that approving the requests would undermine rules intended to protect the sport’s integrity, encourage genuine national development, and prevent teams from being built mainly through external recruitment.

The body added that the athletes may still live, train and compete in Türkiye in club or one-day events, but cannot represent the country in international competitions.