Bahrain deny lifting ban on Kenyan athlete
by mahmood on 22/01/07 at 9:51 am · email · print
BAHRAIN Athletic Association officials last night denied claims that the ban on Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Musher Salem Jawher has been revoked.
Bahrain banned Jawher earlier this month after the athlete took part in a marathon event in Israel.
But an AFP report on Saturday from Nairobi, which was carried in these columns, said that Jawher ‘was accepted back into the fold after he apologised to the government in Manama, which does not recognise the Jewish state, for breaking the country’s laws and competing in Israel.’
Member
Yousif Ahmed Abdul Qader, who was quoted in the report, denied speaking to AFP.
“I’m just a staff member in the financial section of the Bahrain Athletic Association and I have no authority to speak on these matters. Nobody contacted me and I did not speak to anyone,” said Qader speaking to the GDN yesterday.
BAA vice-president Mohammed Jalal and general secretary Abdulrahman Askar also denied any decision being taken on the ban on Jawher.
“The BAA offices were closed over the weekend and there was no way any official decision could have been taken and communicated to the Press,” they said.
“The association also does not have the power to interfere in this matter. It is left to the government to decide on this matter.”
Jawher, who won a silver medal in the men’s 5,000 metres at the Doha Asian Games in December last year, is presently in Kenya.
GDN :: 22 Jan, ’07
