The World Athletics Council has approved a recommendation by the Board of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on the actions and remedial measures to be imposed on the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) following previous violations of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR).

In December 2023, the AIU Board of Directors brought charges against the BAA following a thorough 18-month investigation by the AIU into the BAA’s compliance with ADR 15. ADR 15 imposes anti-doping obligations on World Athletics member federations that are separate from those under the World Anti-Doping Code.

The investigation was prompted by serious anti-doping violations by two BRN athletes at the Tokyo Olympics in connection with blood transfusions, as well as the discovery that the BAA had hired a coach for the national team from 2019 to 2021 who was de facto banned from the sport due to anti-doping violations.

The BAA was accused of:

1. To act negligently and/or recklessly in relation to doping and/or to harm the interests of World Athletics or the reputation of the sport of athletics (violation of ADR 15.4.1).
2. Failure to take appropriate measures when deploying Athlete Support Personnel to ensure that they are of good character and reputation and that the doping risk associated with their deployment is minimised (violation of ADR 15.4.6).

The BAA has cooperated with the AIU throughout the proceedings, admitted the allegations and agreed to the following consequences:

• The BAA’s participation in both the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo is limited to a maximum of ten athletes.
• The BAA will not participate in any other World Athletics Series events for 12 months from 1 June 2024.
• The BAA will neither apply for a league change nor recruit foreign athletes until 2027.
• The BAA will spend up to $7.3 million over four years on the following measures to address doping and integrity risks in the Bahraini athletics sector:
  • Implement a detailed Strategic Plan and Operational Roadmap (SPOR) as agreed with the AIU to transform the Association and appropriately manage integrity issues.
  • The BAA will guarantee that an independent and WADA-compliant National Anti-Doping Organisation is established in Bahrain and fully funded by the Bahraini government at least until the end of 2026 (a step the BAA has already taken; the NADO has now been fully operational for a year).
  • The BAA will establish and fund a talent academy to prioritize the development of local talent.
  • The BAA shall bear the AIU’s costs for investigating and monitoring the delivery of the SPOR.

The financial commitment to transform the Federation, sporting development and integrity in Bahrain is welcomed and strategically aims to address the identified deficiencies in the Bahraini system, namely:

• Creating a NADO where none existed before is a welcome result with great benefits for reducing doping risks for BRN athletes in the future.
• The creation of a talent academy is a clear sign that BRN is now shifting its focus significantly and concentrating more on identifying and developing homegrown talent rather than relying solely on recruiting foreign athletes.
• Transforming the BAA itself in line with the very stringent requirements of the Strategic Plan and Operational Roadmap (SPOR) will ensure that it has the appropriate leadership and processes in place to manage integrity risks going forward. This will serve as an excellent model for other associations, particularly those in the region.
• The imposed pause on new club transfers and the recruitment of foreign athletes is appropriate and will ensure that the system within the BRN has been restructured by the time recruitment resumes.

Athletics Integrity Unit Chair David Howman said: “The BAA has, to its credit, shown genuine remorse for its past wrongdoings and a willingness to change. Indeed, much of the work to reform the Association in 2023 was started on a voluntary basis as soon as the BAA’s senior leadership became aware of the issues uncovered by the AIU investigation. It has cooperated fully with the investigation and taken the lead in producing the strategic plan and operational roadmap needed to bring about real change within the Association and the sport. The establishment of a new NADO in Bahrain is a particularly significant outcome for clean sport.”

It is worth noting that while the BAA has a number of clear failures in the control and oversight of matters within its control, the Association’s senior leadership has not been involved in any deliberate breaches of the rules and has in fact been keen to acknowledge and address the organisation’s failings as quickly as possible.

From the perspective of the AIU Board, a satisfactory approach to the resolution of this matter has been reached, which adequately takes into account, on the one hand, the need for punitive measures to send a strong message and, on the other hand, the aim of bringing about real change within the Association and the sport.

Athletics World