INCHEON, South Korea - The growing number of African-born athletes competing under Asian flags could discourage the development of home-grown talent, the Olympic Council of Asia said yesterday.
But it also suggested their success may help raise regional standards.
Several oil-rich Gulf states including Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have achieved overnight athletics success by recruiting fleet-footed young Africans, who are free to compete at international level after meeting eligibility and residency requirements.
Excluding two race walking events, five of the seven track gold medals won in the first two days of the athletics competition at the Asian Games have been won by runners born in Africa who have switched allegiance.
Wei Jizhong, an honorary life vice-president of the OCA, warned of the dangers of buying success.
"We have to work to avoid any country or region, instead of training the athletes, they buy the athletes," he said.
"If they buy the athletes, they stop training their own athletes. That is not beneficial to a country's sport."
In Incheon, the blue riband men's 100m sprint was won by Nigerian-born Femi Ogunode, who moved to Qatar in 2009 and was allowed to compete at the Guangzhou Asiad a year later, where he won the 200/400 double.
He became the first man to run under 10 seconds at the Asian Games on Sunday.
Ogunode's former compatriot Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya only switched allegiance to Bahrain earlier this year and won the women's 400m, while athletes born in Kenya, Morocco and Ethiopia have also struck gold at the ongoing Asian Games.
At the Guangzhou Games four years ago, all six medallists from the men's 5 000 and 10000m were born in Africa.
However, OCA director-general Husain Al-Musallam said he was not concerned about the possibility that an influx of African talent could discourage young Asian athletes from taking up the sport.
"No, we are not worried," the Kuwaiti said. "These athletes will raise the standard. They have met all the eligibility requirements and they are eligible to compete."
African-born stars shake up Asian Games
INCHEON, South Korea - The growing number of African-born athletes competing under Asian flags could discourage the development of home-grown talent, the Olympic Council of Asia said yesterday.
But it also suggested their success may help raise regional standards.
Several oil-rich Gulf states including Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have achieved overnight athletics success by recruiting fleet-footed young Africans, who are free to compete at international level after meeting eligibility and residency requirements.
Excluding two race walking events, five of the seven track gold medals won in the first two days of the athletics competition at the Asian Games have been won by runners born in Africa who have switched allegiance.
Wei Jizhong, an honorary life vice-president of the OCA, warned of the dangers of buying success.
"We have to work to avoid any country or region, instead of training the athletes, they buy the athletes," he said.
"If they buy the athletes, they stop training their own athletes. That is not beneficial to a country's sport."
In Incheon, the blue riband men's 100m sprint was won by Nigerian-born Femi Ogunode, who moved to Qatar in 2009 and was allowed to compete at the Guangzhou Asiad a year later, where he won the 200/400 double.
He became the first man to run under 10 seconds at the Asian Games on Sunday.
Ogunode's former compatriot Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya only switched allegiance to Bahrain earlier this year and won the women's 400m, while athletes born in Kenya, Morocco and Ethiopia have also struck gold at the ongoing Asian Games.
At the Guangzhou Games four years ago, all six medallists from the men's 5 000 and 10000m were born in Africa.
However, OCA director-general Husain Al-Musallam said he was not concerned about the possibility that an influx of African talent could discourage young Asian athletes from taking up the sport.
"No, we are not worried," the Kuwaiti said. "These athletes will raise the standard. They have met all the eligibility requirements and they are eligible to compete."
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos