World Athletics Rejects Türkiye’s Bid To Switch 11 Athletes Ahead Of LA 2028

World Athletics Rejects Türkiye’s Bid To Switch 11 Athletes Ahead Of LA 2028

Sampson Adedeji

World Athletics has rejected all 11 applications submitted by the Türkiye Athletics Federation for athletes seeking to change their sporting nationality ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The decision affects a high-profile list of athletes, including Brigid Kosgei, Ronald Kwemoi, Rojé Stona, Rajindra Campbell, Jaydon Hibbert, Wayne Pinnock, and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, among others.

According to World Athletics, approving the mass transfer of allegiance would undermine key council principles, particularly the need to safeguard the integrity and credibility of national representative competitions.

“The proposed switches would compromise core imperatives, including protecting the credibility of national representation,” the global body stated.

As a result of the ruling, none of the athletes involved will be eligible to represent Türkiye in major international events such as the World Championships or the Olympic Games.

The decision is a significant setback for Türkiye’s ambitions to bolster its athletics squad ahead of Los Angeles 2028, while the affected athletes must now reassess their international futures under existing eligibility rules.