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Rio Olympics: Why Are African Athletes Defecting To Gulf Nations?

Rio Olympics: Why Are African Athletes Defecting To Gulf Nations?

Financial difficulties faced by talented African athletes is turning into a blessing for Gulf states like Bahrain, which won its first ever Olympic gold medal courtesy of Ruth Jebet a Kenyan-born 3,000 meter steeplechase runner.

Foreign-born runners make up majority of the Gulf nation’s team to the Rio Olympics. Ethiopia, Kenya’s rival in the middle and long-distance running alongside Nigeria, Morocco and Jamaica complete the line-up that includes almost no runners born in Bahrain.

Bahrain is among the oil-rich Gulf nations which have lured athletics talents from with offers of financial rewards and school fees to complete their studies.

“There is no support in Kenya,” the newly-crowned Olympic champion told Reuters. We talked with the (Bahrain) federation and they said ‘you can come and we will pay for everything,” she added.

Jebet changed her nationality in February 2013 and went on to upstage her Kenyan counterparts at the 2014 World Junior Championships, by winning the gold medal in the same distance in Oregon, U.S.A.

Her historic win came a day after Eunice Kirwa, a Kenyan-born marathoner won silver for Bahrain on Sunday, behind Kenya’s Jemima Sumgong.

In 2003, Saif Saaeed Shaheen (formerly known as Stephen Cherono) switched nationality to Qatar and went on to win the 3,000 meters steeplechase gold at the World Athletics Championships held in Paris, France in August the same year.

At the Rio Olympics, Jebet and Kirwa headline a strong team of about 20 Kenyans representing their adopted nations, QUARTZ Africa reported.

Controversy

While many regard athletes defecting to the Gulf nations as betrayers, a senior official within Athletics Kenya offered a contrary opinion that might stir even more controversy.

“These athletes are just Bahrain by name but for all practical purposes are Kenyans. They live and train with us and win big bucks out there to come and invest in Kenya,” Paul Mutwii, senior vice-chairman at AK told Reuters.

Courtesy of her switch to Bahrain, Jebet has helped pay school fees for siblings and improved her family’s life back in Kenya.

However, financial gain is not the sole reason for defection. Stiff competition for places and neglect back home has also forced athletes to switch allegiance to other nations.

Many defectors have found opportunities to represent their adopted nations in global events, where they also get recognition for their efforts.

Jebet said that if she was still Kenyan, chances of representing the East African would be under threat from the rich vein of talent it has.

“In Kenya, you must struggle hard, everybody is in good shape,” Jebet added.

Francis Obikwelu, one of Africa’s best sprinters in recent years got a career-threatening injury while representing Nigeria at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000. The athletics authorities in Nigeria neglected him, forcing him to defect to Portugal.

Obikwelu went on to win silver medal for the European nation in the 100 meters at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

In 2015, Qatar reportedly offered World Javelin champion, Julius ‘YouTube-Man’ Yego huge financial returns in efforts to lure him from Kenya.

Unless African nations improve their financial incentives to their athletics stars, Gulf nations will easily entice the talents.