IAAF sets new rules
ATHLETES looking forward to changing their national allegiance will have to wait for three years before their application is granted.
By Norman Katende<>/b>
ATHLETES looking forward to changing their national allegiance will have to wait for three years before their application is granted.
According to an IAAF press release on day two of the IAAF council briefing in Doha, Qatar, council decided to implement only this one rule of the 300 IAAF rules change proposals that they had received. The change takes immediate effect.
The rule is aimed at checking the increasing number of athletes changing their nationalities to the oil countries of Bahrain and Qatar of recent.
“Council agreed that IAAF Rule 5.2d, which relates to Changes of Nationality, will be changed so that the period of ineligibility of an athlete who had competed for one member federation and wanted to change to another, would only begin when the athlete received citizenship,†read part of the statement issued yesterday.
Before the new rule, the three-year eligibility period started at the time the athlete last raced for his original country, regardless of when he got his citizenship.
“The period may be reduced to 12 months with agreement in writing of the members concerned.â€
The trek has seen Uganda lose one of its upcoming star Patrick Cheboto, now Ahmed Shebto to Qatar while Kenya lost Stephen Cherono (Saif Saeed Shaheen) who went on to win the world 3000m steeplechase final and also write the world record.
ATHLETES looking forward to changing their national allegiance will have to wait for three years before their application is granted.
According to an IAAF press release on day two of the IAAF council briefing in Doha, Qatar, council decided to implement only this one rule of the 300 IAAF rules change proposals that they had received. The change takes immediate effect.
The rule is aimed at checking the increasing number of athletes changing their nationalities to the oil countries of Bahrain and Qatar of recent.
“Council agreed that IAAF Rule 5.2d, which relates to Changes of Nationality, will be changed so that the period of ineligibility of an athlete who had competed for one member federation and wanted to change to another, would only begin when the athlete received citizenship,†read part of the statement issued yesterday.
Before the new rule, the three-year eligibility period started at the time the athlete last raced for his original country, regardless of when he got his citizenship.
“The period may be reduced to 12 months with agreement in writing of the members concerned.â€
The trek has seen Uganda lose one of its upcoming star Patrick Cheboto, now Ahmed Shebto to Qatar while Kenya lost Stephen Cherono (Saif Saeed Shaheen) who went on to win the world 3000m steeplechase final and also write the world record.