Bahrain Athletics Association sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations. BAA

The World Athletics Council has approved a recommendation from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Board concerning the measures and corrective actions to be imposed on the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) following historical breaches of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR), the official website of the World Athletics reports.

In December 2023, the AIU Board issued a notice of charge against the BAA, following a thorough 18-month AIU investigation into the BAA’s compliance with ADR 15, which imposes anti-doping obligations on Member Federations of World Athletics which are separate to the obligations of the World Anti-Doping Code.

The impetus for the investigation was the serious anti-doping rule violations committed by two Bahreini 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.

Moroccan-born Sadik Mikhou was one of the two Bahreini athletes to be accused for blood transfusions at the Tokyo 2020. GETTY IMAGES
Moroccan-born Sadik Mikhou was one of the two Bahreini athletes to be accused for blood transfusions at the Tokyo 2020. GETTY IMAGES

The BAA has cooperated with the AIU throughout the process.  Аs a consequence тhe BAA’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was limited to 10 athletes, so will be at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The BAA will not participate in any other World Athletics Series events until 1 June 2025.

Also the BAA will not apply for any transfers of allegiance or recruit any foreign athletes until 2027. 11 of 13 Bahreini Olympians at the Paris 2024 were foreign athletes, who had changed nationality. Eight of them were competing in athletics, and Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi won gold medal, Nigerian-born Salwa Eid Naser took the silver.

The BAA will also guarantee that an independent and WADA-compliant Bahrain national anti-doping organisation will be established in Bahrain and be fully funded by the Bahrain government until at least the end of 2026 (a step which the BAA has taken, the NADO now fully operational for one year).

Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi was one of the two athletes to win gold medal for Bahrain at the Paris 2024. GETTY IMAGES
Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi was one of the two athletes to win gold medal for Bahrain at the Paris 2024. GETTY IMAGES

Chair of the Athletics Integrity Unit, David Howman, said that the BAA has displayed genuine contrition about its past wrongdoings and commitment to change. 

“In fact, much of the work to reform the federation commenced on a voluntary basis in 2023 as soon as the senior leadership of the BAA became aware of the issues uncovered by the AIU investigation. It has cooperated fully with the investigation and taken a lead in creating the strategic plan and operational roadmap required to create real change within the federation and within the sport. The creation of a new NADO in Bahrain is a particularly significant outcome for clean sport,” said Howman.