Faith Nyasuguta
World Athletics has shut down attempts by 11 elite athletes to switch allegiance to Turkey, calling the move part of a “coordinated recruitment strategy” driven by lucrative state-backed deals.
The group included top names from across the track world – five Kenyans, four Jamaicans, a Nigerian, and a Russian. Among them were marathon star Brigid Kosgei and Olympic discus champion Roje Stona, highlighting the scale of the attempted talent shift.
According to World Athletics, the applications were tied to a government-funded club aimed at fast-tracking nationality changes and strengthening Turkey’s medal prospects ahead of future competitions, including the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
But the governing body pushed back hard. Officials said approving the transfers would “compromise” the integrity of eligibility rules, stressing that the process appeared designed to bypass long-standing regulations on nationality changes in sport.
“Given the common features across the applications – such an approach is inconsistent with the core principles,” the body stated, confirming all 11 requests were assessed collectively and rejected outright.
The decision means none of the athletes will be allowed to represent Turkey in international competitions, effectively halting what appears to have been an aggressive talent acquisition push.
The move also sends a broader message. As global competition intensifies, countries have increasingly looked to naturalisation as a shortcut to success – offering financial incentives to attract top performers. Turkey, which failed to secure a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is now under scrutiny for attempting to accelerate its rise through imported talent.
For World Athletics, the line is clear: the sport’s credibility cannot be traded for quick wins.
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